Behind Closed Hearts
by Trillinka
Summary: Yumi is dating Theo, and things aren't as they should be. Ulrich knows something's wrong, but will he find out before it's too late? Contains violence, slight profanity, and mature subject matter. Rated M for my safety! Not suitable for all audiences.
1. Yumi and Theo?

Disclaimer: I do not and never have owned Code: Lyoko. Also, I am not worth suing, so don't even think about it. I have maybe $20 to my name, seriously.

AN: Well, here goes nothing! This is going to be one crazy story.... To make it less confusing, all the diary entries that are in italics are Yumi's, the bolds are Ulrick's. Read, review, and enjoy!

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Thursday, March 1

I am such an idiot. Why couldn't I leave things alone? I only started dating Theo to make him jealous. Now I'm afraid that if I try to leave Theo, he'll get mad and hurt Ulrich. I can't let that happen, so I must endure.

March 1 - Thursday

I can't believe how much Yumi has changed. When she's with Odd, Jeremy, and I, she seems fine, but as soon as Theo shows up she looks almost scared. I don't trust him. If he hurts her... I wish I could watch over her here like I do in Lyoko. I was angry when Yumi chose him over me. Anyone else, Yumi. Anyone but Theo. Herb and Nicholas even... but not Theo. Why, Yumi?

During lunch, Yumi sat down at their table, facing Ulrich. Theo sat to her right, wrapping his arm around her possessively. Ulrich looked away and clenched his hands into fists under the table, unable to bear the sight. He hated how Theo acted as if Yumi was his. At least there was one place where Theo couldn't go - Lyoko. For once, Ulrich almost wished X.A.N.A. would attack so he could get Yumi away from Theo.

Ulrich was brought back to reality as the bell rang, ending lunch. The gang, plus Theo, picked up their trays and threw away their uneaten food. For Yumi, this was most of it. Lately, Yumi's appetite had diminished until all she could eat was a granola bar for lunch, and a small meal at supper. Breakfast no longer existed for her.

After dumping her uneaten food, Yumi let Theo lead her to her next class. She glanced over her left shoulder to see Ulrich watching her with his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. Theo tugged on her hand and she was pulled into the crowd of milling students where she could no longer see Ulrich.


	2. Downhill

AN: Well, here's chapter two. Things are going to pick up a little bit in the next few chapters. You'll see what I mean soon. Tomorrow is a rerun of Logbook so I'll find out the color of Ulrich's tomorrow probably. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy! (Chapters come faster the more you review!)

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Friday morning, March 2

Another trip to Lyoko this morning. This time, X.A.N.A. took over the lunchroom and poisoned the food. Poor Odd was going back for seconds before we realized what was wrong. Luckily, Ulrich and I hadn't started eating yet so we went to Lyoko while Theo took Odd to the nurse. Theo thought Ulrich and I were going to get Odd's parents. He tried to take Ulrich's place, but we convinced him that Odd's parents wouldn't talk to anyone they didn't know. He didn't seem happy about me going with Ulrich... He said I should stay with him and Odd, but I ran out before he could say anything more.

Once we got to Lyoko, it was nice to run beside Ulrich for a while and not have to worry about Theo. Jeremy told us Odd called and said half the school was either at the nurse's office or the hospital. Odd also said Theo was sick from the burger he ate. I know I should have been concerned, but I wasn't. I wish things could go back to what they were before. Ulrich didn't love me then, and he probably still doesn't now, but at least back then there wasn't this uneasy silence between us.

After we found Aelita, we were attacked by six crabs. I destroyed the first two before I was devirtualized. Once I was back on Earth, I felt so lightheaded that I couldn't stand. I stayed curled up on the floor of my scanner, waiting for the blue light I knew would come soon. I had complete confidence in Ulrich. I didn't have long to wait, either. Time was reset back to now, and I prepared for school, again - and another day with Theo. I wish I could find a way to avoid going on our date. I hope X.A.N.A. doesn't attack during the date or I'll have to go through it all over again.

March 2 - Friday morning

I'm worried about Yumi. Today when we were in Lyoko she seemed... off. Usually she can take down three or four monsters before she's devirtualized, but after two she hesitated and one of the remaining crabs focused on her. I had matched her, crab for crab at the beginning so there was only two left. I tried to push her out of the way, but I was too slow...

When she was sent back, she didn't make it back up to Jeremy. He tried her cell phone, but she must have turned it off once we left the school so Theo wouldn't call her. Jeremy was going to go down to see what was going on, but we needed him to monitor Lyoko.

I passed her in the halls after we reset time and she didn't even smile at me. I'm not even sure she saw me. She had her books clutched to her chest and her shoulders hunched forward a little. Maybe she's mad at me. What did I do this time? Or did Theo tell her not to talk to me? She has a date with him tonight. Maybe if X.A.N.A. attacks during their date she'll decide not to go once we reset time. I hate seeing her with Theo, but if that's what makes her happy...

After school, Yumi told Theo goodbye and declined his offer to walk her home.

"See you tonight at six," he called, walking back to his room and leaving Yumi standing alone in the school yard. She sat down with her back to a tree as another dizzy spell came upon her. I just need some sleep, she told herself as she closed her eyes and pressed her hand to her forehead, willing the spinning to stop. It took her five minutes before she was able to stand up again.

At this rate, I'll never make it home, she thought, placing her hand against the tree to steady herself. If I go to the nurse, Theo will find me and insist on staying until I'm better. My parents would let him in and show him to my room if I go there... Maybe if I call them and tell them I'm sick and staying at school, they'll tell Theo and I won't have to go on our date. Yumi pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed her home phone number. On the third ring, her mother answered.

"Yumi dear, I thought you'd be home by now," her mother began.

Trying her best to sound sick, Yumi said, "I'm not feeling well, Mom. The nurse said I could stay here overnight. Could you tell Theo I'm too sick to go on our date tonight? I would tell him, but I don't want to get him sick too." During the call, Yumi added in coughs to make it sound more believable and, to her surprise, her mother bought it.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come pick you up?" her mom queried.

"I'll be fine, Mom," Yumi replied, "This way I can get my homework done while I rest."

"Ok, dear," her mom said, "I hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks," Yumi said, "Bye, Mom." Yumi ended the call and her fingers lingered over the buttons as she tried to figure out where she could go. Making up her mind, she dialed Ulrich's number.


	3. Goodnight, Yumi

AN: This is a repost of this chapter. The reason for this is I changed it just a little bit. I added one line so the title fits. I'm disappointed in the small number of reviews! You can do better than that! Without reviews, I lose the will to write. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!

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"Quiet," Ulrich whispered forcefully as Odd entered the room. Ulrich nodded his head at his bed where Yumi was sleeping. Her slight body dented his dark blue covers. She laid on her left side with her face to the wall.

"How long has she been here?" Odd asked, sitting down on his bed beside Ulrich, who had spread his math book and papers on the blond boy's bed.

"About half an hour," Ulrich said, picking up his worksheet and trying to calculate the answer.

"So we're having a bit of a slumber party then," Odd said, pushing Ulrich's books to the side and laying down.

"Shhh," Ulrich whispered as Yumi rolled over to face them as if at Odd's last remark. "You'll wake her yet, loudmouth."

"Sorry," Odd whispered, pulling his gameboy out of his pocket and immersing himself in the game. Ulrich continued working on his math homework.

Around 6 p.m., the boys' stomachs began to rumble. Ulrich cleared the papers and books from Odd's bed and turned to face the blond haired boy.

"Do you think we should wake her up for supper?" Odd asked quietly, turning off his gameboy and sitting up.

Ulrich glanced at Yumi's tranquil expression and shook his head. "She looked really tired when she got here. We'll just let her sleep and bring her back something."

Odd nodded his agreement and slid off his bed. "Let's get going before they run out of pizza and start serving tofu burgers again," he said hungrily

"Ok, I'll be right there," Ulrich said quietly, standing up, "I'm just going to put away my stuff first." Unable to wait any longer, Odd left their room and made his way to the cafeteria. Ulrich got down on his knees and pushed the math materials under his bed. When he came back up, he found himself looking at Yumi's sleeping form. He watched her sleep for a moment, then stood up and moved to the door. As an afterthought, he grabbed the dark blue blanket from the foot of his bed and draped it gently over Yumi.

"Goodnight, Yumi," Ulrich whispered to the girl.

Once he was out of the room, he shut and locked the door carefully. The brown haired boy then went to the cafeteria to join his friend in supper.


	4. Ulrich's Uncertainty

AN: There's some stuff in the reviews for the last chapter that I want to clear up. One, it may seem like filler cuz that's what it is. Also, it puts our characters in the places I need them. Note, at the end of this chapter, Yumi is still in the bedroom and Odd and Ulrich are in the cafeteria. That means they are accessible. Two, some of you have a problem with the title. It is that way for no reason. I just needed at title quick because I didn't have much time. If you would have rather not had me put up the chapter because I didn't have a good title ready... Anyway, once I get a better title it will be changed. This chapter could also be called filler, but it actually does have a purpose. You might just have to look closer to find it. I'm not sure when you're getting another chapter. I'm not having a very good day so it may take a bit longer so I don't put my anger into it. And yes, I know this is a short chapter. That's just how it goes sometimes. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!

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"Where's Yumi?" Theo demanded, slamming his fist on the table.

"I told you, we don't know," Ulrich replied calmly.

"You're lying," Theo growled.

"Why would I?" Ulrich challenged.

"You want to take her away from me, you all do."

With a sigh, Ulrich picked up his tray and dumped its contents in the trash. Jeremy and Odd did the same. Angrily, Theo stormed out of the cafeteria.

"Why didn't you tell him Yumi's in our room?" Odd asked his friend.

"She needs to sleep," was Ulrich's reply. Seeing the discussion was closed, Odd and Jeremy followed Ulrich to the snack stand. Ulrich bought a couple of packages of cookies and an apple to take back to Yumi.

"I'm going to go work on materializing Aelita," Jeremy said, heading for his room.

"Good luck," Ulrich called at the retreating form.

As they quietly reentered their room, the boys were greeted by a barking Kiwi.

"Quiet," Odd whispered as he bent down and picked up the noisy dog. In response, Kiwi gave Odd's face a thorough washing until the blond haired boy set him down.

"C'mere Kiwi," Ulrich said, crouching down to the dog's level. "There's a dog biscuit in it for you if you don't wake Yumi." Kiwi gave a little yip and jumped onto Ulrich's bed and laid down by the girl's feet.

March 2 - evening

She's slept four hours so far. When she got here at four, I was a little worried. She looked like she was having trouble staying standing. I'm not sure if she was just tired or if there was more to it. At least she didn't go on that date with Theo. I don't really know why I didn't tell him where Yumi was. I don't trust him, I guess. I wouldn't mind never seeing him again. If I'm lucky, Sissy will start going after Theo and that would solve two problems. Or, maybe I should start going out with Sissy to make Yumi jealous and she might break up with Theo. I don't even know if Yumi likes me though... She must not if she's going out with Theo. I don't know what to think anymore....


	5. Crazy About Her

AN: I know, I know.. it's short. It's just one of those chapters to lead into another and to add a smidge of Odd induced humor. Also, this chapter has been reposted due to a little word problem at the end I solved. Read, review, and enjoy!

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"Where are you sleeping tonight?" Odd asked, grabbing his toothbrush, toothpaste, and pajamas.

"On the floor I guess," was Ulrich's reply.

"You must be pretty crazy about her if you're going to give up your bed," Odd commented. Ulrich blushed and tried to hide it by digging out the boxers and tank he would be wearing to bed. He grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste and walked out into the hall. Odd followed him out and shut the door quietly behind himself.

"Better lock it too," Ulrich said, pulling out his key and securing the door. The boys then walked to the bathroom and readied themselves for bed. Ulrich was done first, as usual. He grabbed his things and headed for the bathroom door.

"Don't take forever," Ulrich said as he pushed the door open.

"You can't expect someone as good looking as me to rush things," Odd said, acting as if he was offended. Ulrich chuckled as he left Odd to his nighttime preparations.


	6. Yumi's Nightmare

AN: Starts with Yumi dreaming. Dreams are signified by :: at the beginning and end. Another chapter coming soon, I hope. I'm going on vacation after Sunday and I'll be back on the Saturday or Sunday after. I'll try to get a chapter in before then. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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:: In front of me I see Ulrich the day he told me he had feelings for me - the day Sissy tricked him. His face falls as I tell him I didn't write the letter. I don't want to say it, but I can't stop myself. And I can't take back the words.

The scene changes and now we're in Lyoko. All of us are there, even Jeremy. He seems to be throwing rocks at the blocks and doing fairly well. There isn't an infected tower in sight, but I fight on anyway. Every time we destroy a block, two more come in its place.

"Where's the tower?" I shout at the others as I destroy another monster.

"There is no tower," Odd replied, "We win when we destroy all the blocks."

"Where's Aelita then?" I asked, stopping my attack and looking at Jeremy.

"Aelita? Who's Aelita?" Jeremy asked, turning blank, sightless eyes to me. I took a step back in surprise and horror. This is no Jeremy I know, I thought. The real Jeremy is in love with Aelita. Somehow, I had to convince the others he was a fake... probably created by X.A.N.A.

"Ulrich, this isn't Jeremy," I said, turning to the one who was most likely to believe me.

"Of course he is," Ulrich replied and turned so his back was to me, "But I'm not Ulrich."

"Yes you are," I said desperately, looking back and forth from the fake Jeremy's empty eyes and to Ulrich's back.

"No, I'm not," he said, turning to face me again. This time I was looking into the eyes of Theo.

"This can't be happening," I whispered, fear creeping into my voice.

"It is," Theo said coldly, shifting his attention - and his blade - from the blocks to me.

"Where's Ulrich?" I asked softly. I backed away and a knot of panic and anxiety formed in my stomach. The person before me looked in every way like Ulrich, except for the face. Something in his eyes terrified me and I continued my retreat until my back hit a tree. My hands went back to the tree's trunk as I braced myself for whatever was to come. He advanced on me with his sword pointed on me and Odd and Jeremy closed in behind him.

"He's dead," Theo said grimly. The knot in my stomach twisted, along with my heart.

"D-dead?" I stammered, not wanting to believe him.

"I killed him," Theo said simply, stepping in front of me. "And now I'm going to kill you."

I only had time to scream one word before a stab through the heart silenced me.

"Ulrich!"::


	7. Goodnight Ulrich

AN: Sorry it has been so long since I've updated! I was on vacation and kicked off the computer. I have 10 more chapters (I think) written for you. I'm only posting three or four now so you don't get too overwhelmed. Read, review, and enjoy!

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Yumi shot upright into a sitting position. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her throat ached from the scream that had been torn from it. At first her wide eyes didn't recognize her surroundings, then she remembered she was in Odd and Ulrich's room.

"Ulrich," she whispered frantically, untwisting her hands from the blanket the latter had placed over her carefully earlier that day. Her eyes darted around the room and lingered for a moment on Odd, who had risen from his bed and was moving toward her. Yumi's racing heart clenched in sudden fear and she recoiled from him.

"Yumi, what's wrong?" Odd asked sleepily, "I heard you scream."

"Where's Ulrich?" she asked softly, almost afraid to hear his answer.

"He's sleeping on the floor. Why?" was Odd's reply. Yumi scrambled out of the bed and crouched down between the beds where Ulrich was laying.

"Ulrich, wake up," Yumi whispered at him urgently, "It's me, Yumi." When he did not stir, she began to get worried. "Please Ulrich," she pleaded, raising her voice a notch. Yumi placed a trembling hand on Ulrich's shoulder and shook it gently. Getting no response, she increased the intensity and didn't notice as tears began streaming down her face.

"What's going on?" Ulrich asked groggily as he tried to sit up. On his way up, he pulled the earplugs from his ears.

"You're alive!" Yumi cried softly as she threw her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder.

"Of course I am," Ulrich said, awkwardly placing his arms around her. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Theo killed you," Yumi sobbed, "He killed you and then he stabbed me. We were in Lyoko and Jeremy was there, but he wasn't Jeremy and you guys wouldn't believe me. Then you changed into Theo and he said he killed you then he killed me."

"Whoa, slow down," Ulrich said, pulling back from her and studying her tear-stained face. "I'm alive, and you're alive. Jeremy is still Jeremy and we aren't in Lyoko. You were probably having a bad dream."

"No kidding," Odd said, "You should have heard her scream your name. I'm surprised the whole school didn't hear her."

Yumi sat back against Ulrich's bed and tried to get her breathing and heart rate back to normal.

"Are you going to be ok?" Ulrich asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah," Yumi said, trying to keep her voice steady, "You guys can go back to sleep. I'm going to sit up for a little bit." When it finally dawned on her that Ulrich had given up his bed for her and chosen the floor, she blushed a little.

"First she's screaming, then she's blushing... I'll never understand girls," Odd mumbled, climbing back into bed.

"What did he say?" Ulrich asked, looking at Odd.

"It was probably nothing," Yumi said, though she knew exactly what Odd had said. "You can have your bed back now, Ulrich. I'll sleep on the floor."

"I don't mind giving up my bed," Ulrich said, laying back down and folding his arms behind his head.

"Are you sure?" Yumi asked.

"Positive. Goodnight Yumi."

"Goodnight Ulrich." Yumi climbed back into Ulrich's bed but didn't lay down. Instead, she sat on the edge with her feet dangling over the side as Odd's chorus of snores began.

"Yumi?"

"Yes Ulrich?"

Ulrich pulled his left hand out from under his head and twisted one corner of his blanket with it. "Did you really scream my name?" he asked quickly.

"Well, I know in my nightmare I did..." Yumi said, "I guess if Odd says I did then I must have."

"Why?"

"Why do I trust Odd or why did I scream your name?" Yumi asked.

"Why did you scream my name?"

"Theo said you were dead... that he killed you," Yumi began.

"Why would that matter to you?" Ulrich interrupted, a tinge of jealousy in his voice, "You have Theo and I get the feeling he would like me to just die."

Unable to take the verbal abuse so soon after the terror she had experienced only minutes ago, Yumi swung her legs back onto the bed and laid down.

"Goodnight Ulrich," she whispered as more tears joined the ones already staining her cheeks.


	8. Yumi's Despair

AN: Sorry about this one being so short. It's just a little journal entry from Yumi (In case you couldn't guess) that doesn't really belong in the last chapter or the next one. Again, read, review, and enjoy!

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Friday, March 2 - 11:32 p.m.

Ulrich's mad at me. When I look at him sleeping now, I can see a slight from on his face like even in his dreams he's angry with me. I wish he had given me a chance to finish what I was saying.... And, I wish I could tell him the whole truth. The whole truth that I died inside when the Theo in my nightmare told me he killed Ulrich. And that it isn't Theo I care about or want to be with. In fact, I wish I had never met Theo. Then maybe I wouldn't have ruined even the slightest chance of Ulrich liking me. Then maybe I wouldn't be afraid to go back to sleep for fear of seeing Theo. Then maybe I wouldn't wish the last part of my nightmare was true and I really was dead...

Even now as I try to write by the light of a full moon, I feel sleep pulling at me. Maybe I'll sleep so deeply that they can't wake me up.... so deeply that I wouldn't hear Odd's snoring and Ulrich mumbling in his sleep...


	9. Ulrich's Nightmare

AN: Well, this is the last chapter you're getting from me today. If you're nice and review a lot, I'll steal back the computer tomorrow and type up a few more for you. In case you don't remember, the :: around a section means it's a dream. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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Indeed, Ulrich was mumbling in his sleep. If Yumi had been able to stay awake a little while longer, she would have heard what the unaware Ulrich had to say. Only Kiwi heard the words Ulrich could never speak out loud, and he wasn't telling. Instead, the dog jumped down from Ulrich's bed and curled up against Ulrich's side, lending the boy his body heat.

:: I can't believe what I'm seeing. How could I stand by and let this happen? How could he do something like this? I knelt down by the bruised, broken body of the raven-haired girl. Theo loomed over us threateningly and I felt my blood boil.

"How could you do this to her?" I asked furiously in a quiet voice.

"Easily," he sneered, kicking Yumi's motionless body one last time before he sauntered over to Sissy and engaged her in a conversation.

"Yumi, wake up," I pleaded, my right hand lingering over her shoulder. I wanted to touch her to see if she had survived the beating at the hands of Theo, but I'm afraid I'll touch one of her many injuries and cause her more of the pain she didn't deserve. Settling on a small portion of her cheek which remained unmarred, I rested my fingertips on her hot skin and received a soft moan in response. At least she's still alive, I thought, withdrawing my hand.

If I could figure out how to move her without hurting her more, I would get her some help. Mainly, I want to get her away from Theo so he can't harm her further. I feel so helpless. I want to kill Theo for what he's done to Yumi, but she needs me now. Knowing I have no other choice, I pick her up as gently as I can and try not to cry with her as more tears leak from her eyes.

Thankfully she was knocked unconscious after a few blows so she didn't see my standing by, doing nothing as Theo beat her. I tried to move to help her, but it was as if my muscles were frozen. As soon as he tired of hitting her, I could move again, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move fast enough. I was only halfway to her when he bent down beside Yumi and I saw the flash of cold steel in his hand.

"Please don't..." I whispered, fear turning my insides cold. The blade of the pocketknife lingered dangerously close to Yumi's throat and I held my breath. I wanted to turn my head so I wouldn't see him kill her, but I couldn't.

For a few drawn out seconds, he placed the tip of the knife under her chin and tilted it up.

"I think I'll let you live," Theo said coldly, "For now at least. He pulled the blade away from her throat and sliced the sleeve off her left arm. Then he carved an intricate T on her upper left arm. The cuts extended all the way across Yumi's outer arm and halfway down it. The top line of the T curved around so the back was almost touching the vertical portion. The vertical part was lined with vines and leaves and at the very bottom it tapered off to a single upside-down rosebud.

"Five leaves for my other five targets, and a rose for you, my beautiful number six," Theo muttered as he finished the details on the rose. Blood trickled down her arm from the cuts and dripped onto the cement where she lay. Theo wiped the blade on the shirtsleeve he had cut off her. The click of the knife returning to its folded position had snapped me out of my horrified state and I was finally able to run to Yumi's side.

Even as I carry her away, the blood still seeping from the marks stain my shirt. My feet automatically carry me to the trees we had run through so often to get to the sewer. I know I should take her to the nurse, but I can't seem to stop myself. When we finally reach a small clearing, I start to set her down, then think better of putting her on the dirty ground with all her injuries. Instead, I sit down with her in my lap and wrap my arms around her gently.

Seeing her arm is still bleeding, I unwrap my right arm from her and shrug off one side of my green shirt and do the same with the left. Then I carefully lean her away from me and tie my shirt around the markings. Though I tried to be gentle, the unconscious Yumi still flinched and a soft whimper issued from her lips.

"I'm so sorry Yumi," I whispered to her, "I'm sorry for all of it. I always cared. I shouldn't have let this happen to you.... I love you Yumi, I really do. I'll kill Theo for this, I swear it." Once I finished tying the shirt, I put my arms around her and leaned her against me. Her head resting on my shoulder. Her warm breath blew against my neck. I was lost so deeply in my thoughts that I didn't notice as her breaths became more labored and farther apart. I touched her hand and almost gasped in surprise when I felt how cold it was.

"Please wake up," I pleaded, wrapping my hand around hers and squeezing it. Yumi's eyes opened slightly and she struggled to take in another breath. Her mouth formed words I couldn't hear and I bent my head down closer to hers.

"I-love-you-Ulrich," she gasped. Then, her message delivered, Yumi sighed and her body went limp against mine. My whole body tensed as I waited for her to draw another breath. When she remained still, my arms tightened around her and a sob racked through my body.

"I love you too Yumi."::


	10. Sweet Relief

AN: It's starting again... I'm dedicating chapters and this chapter is dedicated to... YukinaKagomeSerena! Thanks for the review and info about correct spellings, such as Ulrick actually being Ulrich. Thanks for the encouragement and I'll try not to get writer's block! I'll try to get more chapters typed up soon, but my cold and busy schedule seem to be slowing down my typing. I have a few more chapters to post after I type them but I haven't written any new ones since Saturday. I'll try to get working on those, but in the meantime you can read the ones I've already written and will be posting soon (hopefully!). Or, you could read my other story Never Give Up. Anyways, enough of me. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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Ulrich's eyes snapped open to Yumi hovering above him.

"Are you ok?" she asked with concern. At the sound of her voice, he let his tense body sink back into the blankets.

"You're alive," he stated.

"Of course I'm alive," she said, kneeling beside him, "Is that what those tears are about?" Yumi reached her right hand forward and used the back of her index finger to brush away a few of the droplets.

"What time is it?" Ulrich asked, trying to change the subject and get her attention away from the slight blush on his cheeks.

"It's about 5:45 a.m.," Yumi answered, "Today's Saturday, right?"

"Yeah... no classes this morning," was Ulrich's reply. Yumi sat back against the wall beside Ulrich and leaned against the bed.

"I'm sleeping down here for a while," Yumi proclaimed, "If I start having another nightmare, will you wake me up?"

"Sure," Ulrich replied, "Will you do the same for me?"

"Of course." Yumi leaned her head into the corner formed by the wall and Ulrich's bed. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes and after a few moments she felt sleep start to pull her under. Before she succumbed, she felt a blanket being pulled over her body. The last conscious thought she had was wondering what it was that had brushed her lips so briefly.

Had she been aware, Yumi would have seen Ulrich take one of the blankets from his make-shift bed and cover her with it. As he was placing it on the side farthest from him, he had to lean over her and as he was concentrating on not waking her, his lips brushed hers. When he felt it, he pulled back quickly, his face turning red.

Realizing how uncomfortable Yumi would be sleeping as she was, Ulrich lowered her down so she was laying flat on the floor. He then grabbed his pillow and slid it under her head. Satisfied, Ulrich sat up for a while longer, watching her sleep and trying to drive the nightmare from his mind. She's alive, he kept reminding himself. Yumi's alive and I'm not going to let him hurt her, Ulrich vowed. He brushed his fingers across his lips that had touched Yumi's not long before and he laid down. He turned to sleep on his side, facing her and just as he began to fall asleep, Yumi let out a small cry. As promised, he leaned over and shook her gently to wake her. Yumi's eyes opened slowly and focused on Ulrich's face.

"Sorry," she mumbled softly, "I had a nightmare about Lyoko again."

"Are you ok now?" Ulrich asked, his hand still on her shoulder. When she nodded, he released her shoulder and settled back down into his make-shift bed.

"Thank you," she said, also laying back down. Her thanks fell on dead ears, though, for Ulrich was already asleep - unable to fight it any longer. Yumi tucked his blanket up over his shoulders and pulled the one he had given her over herself. This time, she scooted closer to Ulrich, comforted by his nearer presence.


	11. Theo's Discovery

AN: This chapter is dedicated to animegirl16. Thanks again for the reviews when I first started posting my new chapters after I got back from vacation! So speedy too! Made me want to post all my new chapters at once! :P Also, I decided to start posting one chapter at a time for a while since I can get more feedback that way. If it's a really really short chapter, you may get two. Not today though since this is a big chapter plot wise. Maybe by doing a chapter a day I can get caught up and get you some new ones. As always, read, review, and enjoy! (I love having my own little phrase!)

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Odd chuckled as he looked at the pair sleeping on the floor. Ulrich's arm was curled protectively around Yumi's waist and Kiwi was curled up above the pillow the two humans shared. I wonder who's going to wake up first, Odd thought, dangling his feet over the edge of his bed. If Ulrich does, he can pull away without Yumi knowing the difference, but if Yumi is the first one up, she'll see Ulrich's face inches from hers and feel his arm around her but she can't do anything about it or she'll wake him up. Deciding to leave it up to fate, Odd tiptoed to the door and opened it quietly. As he stepped out the door and started to ease it shut, a hand grabbed the door and stopped it. With his hand still on the knob, Odd turned around to find Theo was holding the door.

"Uh, hi Theo," Odd said, caught off guard.

"Where's Ulrich?" Theo asked, still holding onto the door.

"He's sleeping," Odd said truthfully.

"Then it's time he woke up," Theo said, "I need to have a word with him."

"You don't want to do that," Odd warned, trying to keep the door from opening.

"Why not? Does little Ulrich still sleep with his teddy bear?" Theo jeered. Theo wrestled the door away from Odd and turned his head back to make another comment to Odd as he pulled the door open. When he turned back to look in the room, his hand clenched the doorknob and his right hand clenched into a fist.

Odd ducked around Theo and pried his hand from the doorknob. Coming back to his senses, Theo turned on his heel and stormed down the hallway. Amazingly, Ulrich and Yumi slept on, unaware of the event that had just taken place.


	12. Yumi's Discovery

AN: First of all, I know the title sucks. Second, so far there is no dedication for this chapter. You guys have been really good about sending in reviews. Keep up the good work! I got at least 3 right after I posted the last chapter. As soon as I saw those, I decided to type up another chapter right away so I'd have it ready to go tomorrow when I get a chance to go online. This chapter is a bit of fluff partly, and so are the next two chapters. The one after those will help things pick up and the one after that may just blow you away. Again, read, review, and enjoy!

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Yumi's eyes cracked open and then widened a bit in surprise. Ulrich's face was mere inches from hers and his soft breath gently blew the hairs that had curved around her face. It was then that she felt Ulrich's arm around her waist. Her heart fluttered as she realized her left hand rested on the back of his neck. Blushing at the closeness of the situation, Yumi tried to stay still to keep from waking Ulrich. She twisted her head up slightly to look at the clock on Odd's dresser; it read 9:14 a.m. She turned her face back down and, once again, found herself looking at Ulrich's features. When Ulrich started mumbling in his sleep, Yumi moved her face slightly closer to his in an attempt to hear what he was saying.  
  
"Don't leave me again," he mumbled, his forehead creasing into a frown. "Don't go to him this time. Please, don't go."  
  
As she was listening, Yumi absentmindedly stroked the nape of his neck with her thumb.  
  
"I'm here and I'm not leaving," Yumi murmured, resting her forehead against his. The arm Ulrich had around her waist tightened and drew her closer until their bodies pressed together. Yumi gave a small gasp of surprise, but didn't try to move away. Instead, she closed her eyes and soon the warmth and sense of security lulled her back to sleep.

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AN: Wow, two author notes in one chapter! I decided to give you a little bit of a spoiler for the next chapter and I might start doing it for the rest if you guys like this idea. Here it goes: 'On impulse, Ulrich's arms tightened around her and he worked up the courage to ask her a question.' No, the question is not how's the weather doing or something dumb like that. :P On to the next chapter!! 


	13. The Big Question

AN: Wow, you guys were awesome with reviews!! If I would have had time last night, I would have posted at least one of my new chapters! Now to address the reviews.... It was suggested that more action happen in Lyoko and that's coming, I promise! But, how can they go to Lyoko if there has been no attack yet ;). One person asked if Theo was part of the show, and he is. He appears in the episode Claustrophobia and is mentioned in Rock Bottom. Also, about the length of my chapters. I think it fits together better in my mind when things have a definite beginning and end. If I let my chapters run on for forever, it would feel to me like I'm babbling and it would seem like I'm trying to use a lot of words to make them longer and sacrifice quality for quantity. Also, I don't think about length while I write. I just try to write the best I can. Some of the next few chapters will be longer, though. Just not this one or probably the next one. And, somebody mentioned Jeremy not being around much. That's cuz he's working on materializing Aelita of course! I'll bring him back into the story soon, don't worry. And hey, VampirehunterD-lover, this chapter is dedicated to you! Thanks for sticking with me so far and providing your reviews! So, without further ado, here is the chapter. Read, review, and enjoy!

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When Ulrich woke hours later, he couldn't believe his eyes. He started to withdraw the arm he had around Yumi, but stopped himself and replaced it. If I move too much I'll wake Yumi, he reasoned with himself. Besides, my other arm is trapped beneath her. Barely moving his head, Ulrich surveyed the situation. He saw the same sight as Yumi, except now both of Yumi's arms were wrapped behind his neck and both of his arms were around her waist. Deciding the only thing he could do was wait for her to wake up, Ulrich settled his head back to where it was before he had moved it to look. Just seeing her sleeping has pulled at his heart, and having her so close was nearly ripping it out. He knew Yumi was Theo's now, that he had been to slow. Yet even now their contact felt so right. If only I could turn back time, Ulrich thought.

"Yumi?" Ulrich whispered.

"Mm?" was Yumi's sleepy reply.

"If you ever leave Theo, I'll be waiting for you. I swear I'll wait for forever if that's how long it takes."

"Ok Ulrich," Yumi said drowsily.

On impulse, Ulrich's arms tightened around her and he worked up the courage to ask her a question.

"Yumi, may I kiss you?"

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AN: No spoiler this time. Sorry folks, it would give away the next chapter and I so love suspense! Many replies may get you another chapter quicker. ;)


	14. Yes or No?

AN: Thanks to all of you reviewers. I knew I would get mixed reactions to Ulrich's question. Later chapters may help to explain some things, along with the author note at the end. These chapters are going to be short, but after that things will get longer. At least, I'll try to make them longer. I tried to update yesterday, but the document manager was down. Another update tomorrow if you review lots!!! Again, I'm going to mention that I"m bringing Jeremy back into the story soon. He's just been a little too busy to come into the plot. Anyways, read, review, and enjoy!

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By this time, Yumi was mostly awake. She nodded her head slightly in consent and Ulrich gingerly titled his head down until their lips met. The kiss lasted for less than 20 seconds, but it left an impression on both of their hearts. When Yumi finally broke the kiss and opened her eyes, she was looking into Ulrich's eyes. Both of them had amazement written across their features. Because they were so close, each could feel the others' racing heartbeat. A small smile played on Yumi's lips and Ulrich ventured another question, this one quite breathless.

"May I kiss you again?"

Yumi's smile was all the prompting he needed and he tipped his head down until his lips brushed hers. The two were so focused on each other that they didn't hear the door open until it was too late.

* * *

AN: Ok, first of all, hold your flames until I get done with this author note. I know Yumi has a boyfriend and it's not Ulrich. Do any of you remember the chapter where she said she was only going out with Theo to make Ulrich jealous? She doesn't have feelings for Theo. Even if you are still mad at me, don't worry. Keep reading later chapters and you'll like me again. Promise. Well, here it goes! Spoiler for a chapter I like to call Caught!  
  
'"I-I have to go now," she said, edging towards the door and grabbing her book bag.'  
  
There you go! Doesn't it make you curious? 


	15. Caught!

AN: Well, none of you killed me about the last chapter, so here is the next one. I finally made 100 reviews!! This chapter is dedicated to Dark Wolf Spirit purely on the basis that he/she submitted the 100th review. This is another short chapter, I know. The one after it is a bit longer and I'm working on one that's 3 handwritten pages already! See, I'm working on longer chapters! Also, to get more chapters done, I need a little info. I need to know who does what in their band. You know, the band in the episode Seeing is Believing, which should be on Friday, August 6th.. I'm pretty sure Yumi sings, but I need to know what the other characters do. Possible dedication for correct information ;). Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!

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"Well, I guess Theo's anger really was justified this morning," Odd said as the blushing pair separated themselves. 

"Theo was here?" Yumi said with a hint of fear in her voice. Once she had unwrapped her arms from Ulrich, she sat on his bed with her legs dangling over the edge.

"He was here long enough to see you two cozying up to each other," Odd replied, sitting down opposite of Yumi. "It's a good thing he didn't see you guys kissing or man would you be in a lot of trouble."

When Ulrich put away the spare pillow they had been sharing, Kiwi stood up and walked over to his master. Odd picked up the small dog and deposited him on the bed beside him.

Subdued, Yumi reached over to the desk and picked up her cell phone. The screen held a recent text message. As she read its words, her face paled.

"I-I have to go now," she said, edging towards the door and grabbing her book bag.

"What's wrong?" Ulrich asked, sensing the distress in her voice.

"Nothing," Yumi said quickly, "I-I just have to leave." Before either boy could protest, she was out the door and down the hall. The text message burned clearly in her mind:

Meet me at the park - alone.

T.

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AN: Boy is Yumi in trouble this time... It's time for another spoiler!  
  
'"You're hurting me," Yumi said shakily, trying to pull her arm away from his grip. In response, he tightened his hold on her arm and pulled her closer to him.'  
  
Uh oh.... Suspenseful, huh? 


	16. The Truth About Theo

AN: Ok people, this chapter is going to get darker, a lot darker. Don't read if you think it'll scare you. =P Thanks everyone who helped me with the band members. Those people are Animegirl16, Animefan2524, Humanoid05, and Dark Wolf Spirit. The band may pop up in later chapters ;). Anyway, sorry about the delay but things have been crazy here. I'll try to get more typed up and sent your way soon. I know Yumi and Theo aren't acting in character all the time, but you'll see why later. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!

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"You really are a slut," Theo spat as soon as he and Yumi started down a secluded park path.

"We didn't do anything other than sleep," Yumi protested. In the back of her mind, she added kiss, but she knew if she told him, he'd get even madder.

"You lied to me and shared his bed!" Theo yelled, his face turning red in anger and his hands balled into fists.

"What was I supposed to say? Sorry Theo, I'm sick and can't make it home so I'm going to my best friend's room? I'm sure you would have loved that," Yumi said sarcastically.

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Theo's fist connected with her right cheek, snapping her head to the side.

"Never talk back to me," Theo threatened, grabbing onto her right arm tightly.

"You're hurting me," Yumi said shakily, trying to pull her arm away from his grip. In response, he tightened his hold on her arm and pulled her closer to him.

"Don't even think of fighting back," he snarled, "Otherwise your dear Ulrich might have a bit of an... accident along with all your other friends." Yumi nodded her head slightly, sending another wave of pain crashing through her head. At her acceptance, Theo threw her down to the ground and she landed on her hands and knees, scraping the skin on her palms and sending her book bag to the ground beside her.

"Now for your punishment," he said acidly, looking down on he girl. Before he could do anything more, they heard another couple coming down their path. The grabbed her right arm and pulled her to her feet roughly. "Tell anyone and I'll kill you," he hissed in her ear before he disappeared into the tall bushes surrounding the walkway.

Yumi winced as she picked up her book bag and walked out of the park to the busy town square. She reached into her pocket and pulled out some cash. Satisfied it was enough, she stuffed it back into her pocket and half-limped to the nearest drugstore. Once inside, she headed straight for the cosmetics section and bought the cheapest water-based concealer she could find. She paid for her purchase and located a nearby bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, Yumi saw a bruise was already forming on her cheek, as she suspected. Looking at her hands, she saw the skin on her palms had been scuffed up and was bleeding slightly. She wet down some paper towels and pressed them against the cuts until they stopped bleeding. Then, using her fingers, she smoothed the make-up on the discolored, fist-shaped bruise on her cheek. Observing the results, she tilted her cheek to the light and was satisfied it was sufficiently covered. She put the concealer in her left pocket with her cell phone and walked out of the drugstore bathroom and headed home with only as slight limp as the pain in her knees dulled. Her palms still stung, but the pain was trivial.

Yumi breezed past her mother who was making lunch in the kitchen with only a "Hi Mom." She didn't wait for a reply, but instead made straight for her room, shutting and locking the door once she was inside. As she changed into a new set of clothes, her shirt sleeve brushed against the new bruise on her right arm. Yumi pulled the clean shirt off and stared at the black and blue mark that encircled part of her upper arm. At the soft knock on her door, she pulled her shirt back on quickly and unlocked the door.

"Come in," she said, sitting on her bed. The door opened slowly and her mother walked in.

"Are you feeling any better?" her mom asked kindly, sitting on the bed beside Yumi.

"A bit," Yumi admitted.

"You're still going to the school dance tonight, then?" her mother asked.

Oh no, I completely forgot about the dance, Yumi thought.

"I think so," Yumi said, "Did you pick my skirt up from the dry cleaners?"

"Sure did," her mother said cheerfully, "It's hanging up in your closet now."

"Thanks," Yumi said, "Has anyone called for me?"

"Ulrich called to see if you made it home alright," her mother replied, "I told him you'd call him when you got home. He's such a nice boy. Anyway, I'll leave you alone so you can call him. Lunch is almost ready so when you're done maybe we can eat together like we used to?"

Just the thought of eating made Yumi's stomach churn, but for her mom's sake, she nodded agreement. Her mom smiled at her and left her alone, closing the door quietly behind her. Yumi walked over to the door and locked it. Then she sat down with her back against the door and pulled out her cell phone. Deciding to forgo an actual call which could lead to uncomfortable questions, Yumi sent him a text message instead.

Heard u called. Made it home. C u at the dance.

Y.

She barely caught herself before signing it 'love Yumi.' Once it was sent, she leaned her head back against the door and tried to figure out how to get out of eating lunch.

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AN: Theo sure is mean! Anyway, here's your spoiler for the next chapter:

'In the end, I couldn't save her. She died in my arms and I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't even get the chance to tell her I love her before she died.'

I know, I know... it's not much of a spoiler, but the next chapter is basically two diary entries and then a bit of info that if you look real close you might be able to see what I'm going to do later on. Remember to review before you leave! Thanks!


	17. March 3rd

AN: Well, it has taken me forever, but I finally have control of the computer for long enough to update. Just to remind you, the bold writing is stuff in Ulrich's journal, the italics is Yumi's. I know this is kind of short, but the longer chapters are just around the corner, promise. Thanks for all the reviews! They help me want to write more. I'm really bad about letting stories die. Do you guys ever read the author notes in my stories? If you do, tell me in your review so I know whether or not I should keep them. I make them for you, not me. No dedication this time, I'm going to start typing up the next chapter. See if you can pick up on the hint I left in this chapter. Maybe you'll be able to figure out what's going to happen later on. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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March 3 - Saturday

I just got Yumi's message. I wanted her to call so we could talk about what happened this morning. I hope I didn't scare her away.... She looked so beautiful laying there beside me that I couldn't help myself. I didn't think she would say yes. Then, when we kissed it was one of the most amazing things that ever happened to me. Even more shocking than going to Lyoko for the first time.

I don't know why she left so quickly this morning. She picked up her cell phone and book bag and was gone. Then when I tried calling her house she wasn't there yet. It shouldn't have taken her that long to get home. I was getting ready to call again when I got her message. I had almost forgotten about the dance. I'm planning on going with Odd and Jeremy tonight and maybe meeting up with Yumi and Theo at the dance. I still have to get my clothes ready. Good thing it's not a formal dance or I might be out of luck.

I can't help but have a bad feeling about my nightmare last night. The image of Yumi being beaten then cut by Theo won't leave my mind. Why couldn't I help her? I was trying so hard, but I couldn't move a muscle. In the end, I couldn't save her. She died in my arms and I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't even get the chance to tell her I love her before she died. I hope it's not a bad omen.

Saturday, March 3

I feel bad about tricking my mom... She made hot ham and cheese sandwiches and every time she looked away I'd put some in my napkin and stuff it in my pockets. Usually I love her cooking, but I couldn't even swallow a bite. The only thing I could get down was half a glass of apple juice. I don't know what's wrong with me... I haven't eaten anything since supper on Thursday. Maybe I'll try something later.

I wish I didn't have to go to the dance tonight. If I don't, Theo might get angry again and take it out on Ulrich or one of the others. It would be so much easier if I could tell Ulrich what was going on. But, Theo warned me and this time I'm going to have to work things out by myself.

Too bad I can't go to the dance with Ulrich. Before Theo came, I probably would have gone with Ulrich. I wonder why he kissed me this morning. Does that mean he really likes me? I'm confused. Sometimes he acts like he cares, but others it's like I don't exist.

Yumi put her blue-green diary back in the book bag she had brought back with he when she left Odd and Ulrich's room. In his room, Ulrich did the same. Then the two began preparing for the dance, along with all the other students of their school.

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AN: Ok, here's a spoiler for the next chapter!

' Little did she know, her every move was being watched by a set of unwavering eyes. Hands in his pockets and shoulders slumped, his eyes never left the raven-haired girl as the night progressed.'

Not much of a spoiler, but oh well. Loooong chapter coming up so it may be a few days before I update. Review before you leave, please! Thanks for reading!


	18. Party Time at Kadic!

AN: Ok, time to dedicate this chapter! This time the lucky person is.... Aelita142! Congrats and thanks for taking the time to go through all the chapters and review them as you read them. It helps when I get feedback other than 'update' or 'update please.' I'm not saying I don't appreciate those kind of reviews, it just helps more when I see things from a reader's view, not just a writers. In your review, you said I was courageous to write about controversial stuff. I don't see it that way. Abuse is part of life for some people. I'm capturing only a small part of what I could and weaving it into my story rather than just make it a UlrichxYumi fluff sort of thing. Also, one person mentioned that Yumi has Ulrich's diary. She doesn't. It just so happens that they are the same color. Good spotting, though. :) And, I do know how to spell Jeremy's name correctly. Using Jeremy with just the y ending saves time since my spell checker isn't all that great. I know it's spelled Jeremie. And now, without further ado, here's chapter 18. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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As Yumi waited outside her house for Theo, a cool breeze blew gently through her hair. Goosebumps raised on her bare arms and once again she cursed herself for her choice of outfit. The top was made of black cloth that had a dash of glitter sprinkled lightly on it and was fashioned into a single-strap tank top. The one strap was tied tightly at the top of Yumi's left shoulder. The silky material clung to Yumi like a second skin and ended just above her belly-button. The skirt she wore came down to about mid-thigh and it too was made of black, clingy material.

Had the skies not darkened and the wind picked up, the ensemble would have been perfect. As it was, Yumi was beginning to freeze while she waited for Theo and she began to worry about the rain. If it rains, the concealer on her cheek and arm might wash off, leaving her in a fix. The storm clouds began to gather over the town and lightning flashed between the clouds.

Before the first raindrops could fall, Theo arrived and walked with Yumi to the dance. During the walk, Theo had insisted on wrapping his arm around her waist. Yumi cast a quick sideways glance at him as they walked and noticed his idea of dressing up was a pair of black dress slacks and a white buttoned shirt. Stopping short of the school, Yumi turned to face Theo.

"Just so you know, I promised each of my friends a dance tonight," she told him carefully.

"One dance each then," Theo said curtly. Yumi could read the anger in his eyes so she merely nodded.

Theo put his arm back around her waist and the two walked into the school. As they headed toward the gym, they passed by other couples. Tonight, Sissy was with Matt, a soccer player from another school (Remember Zero Gravity Zone?). Along with the couples there were small groups of friends and some students going solo. One of the groups contained Odd, Ulrich, and Jeremy.

"I don't know if she's coming," Odd said nervously, shoving his hands into ten pockets of the dark purple slacks he had chosen to wear for the dance.

"She will," Ulrich said reassuringly, "Samantha isn't one to miss a dance." While the was talking to Odd, Ulrich's eyes were darting around in search of Yumi. When he did spot her, he turned his head away in disgust. I can't believe she's letting him touch her like that, he thought jealously.

"Um... Ulrich? Aren't we going to go say hello to Yumi?" Jeremy said, breaking Ulrich's train of thought.

"You guys go ahead," Ulrich said, "I'll go see if I can find Sam for Odd."

"Are you sure?" Jeremy asked uncertainly.

"Positive." Shrugging, Jeremy and Odd walked over to where Yumi and Theo were standing.

"How's it going?" Odd asked.

"Fine," Theo said, looking impatiently at the gym door.

"How's Aelita?" Yumi asked Jeremy. The group had agreed that only mentioning her name would cause no problems so long as they didn't talk about Lyoko.

"She's fine," Jeremy said, "She says it's pretty boring where she is." Yumi got the hint and nodded.

"Einstein here has been cooped up these past few days working on his computer and talking to Aelita," Odd explained to Theo, "We decided he needed to have some fun so we pulled him out of his room and took his key. He can only get it back after the dance is over."

Yumi chuckled at Jeremy's plight and motioned for the group to go into the gym.

"Let's go in before the dance floor fills up," she suggested. Theo and Yumi led the way while Jeremy and Odd filed in behind them. Yumi's eyes scanned the crowd in search of Ulrich. But, try as she might, Yumi couldn't find him. I hope he came, Yumi thought, otherwise I'll have to be with Theo all night and I won't get to leave him for a dance with Ulrich. Deep in her heart, Yumi longed to see Ulrich again. She wished she knew what the kiss was all about this morning. Yumi knew it had been wrong to kiss him when she was technically going out with Theo, but the moment had carried her away and made her mind not see reason. Eventually, Yumi gave up looking for Ulrich and joined Theo in the first upbeat dance of the night. During the dances, Yumi made sure to keep an eye on Odd and Jeremy and as soon as the first slow dance began, she pulled away from Theo.

"I'll be back after this dance," she said, heading toward Jeremy, who was sitting in one of the chairs positioned around the gym. Jeremy glanced up when Yumi stopped in front of him. He looked at her questioningly, but she merely held out her hand to him and nodded at the dance floor. Getting the idea, Jeremy took her hand, stood up, and let her lead him onto the dance floor. Jeremy put his arms around her hesitantly and started dancing with her slowly after she put her arms around him.

"Why aren't you dancing with Theo?" Jeremy asked her quietly.

"I told him I promised each of you a dance," Yumi explained, "Could you pass the word on to Odd - Ulrich too if he's here."

"Ulrich's here," Jeremy said, "Last time I saw him was before Odd and I went over to talk to you and Theo. Ulrich went to look for Samantha for Odd."

"Sam's here?" Yumi said, looking around for the object of Odd's affection. Then she spotted the girl in question dancing with Odd. "Over there," she said, unwrapping her arm from behind Jeremy's back and pointing to the couple.

"I guess that means everybody has somebody except Ulrich and me," Jeremy said glumly.

"That's not true," Yumi protested, "You have Aelita. She may not be materialized yet, but she still cares about you. If not for me falling down the hole that one time, you would be dancing with her now. We both know you should have materialized her instead of me." The pair fell silent for a moment, then Yumi whispered, "It would have been better for everyone." Jeremy disagreed, but he could see the sadness in her eyes and stayed quiet. In truth, he wasn't very good with this sort of situation and was afraid he'd say the wrong thing.

As the song ended, Jeremy ventured his reply, "You know that's not true. We'd all miss you - Ulrich especially."

"He wouldn't care if I was lost forever. I doubt he would even cry if I died." In her heart, Yumi knew this was not true. Wasn't it only last night when he woke up crying from a nightmare where she got hurt? Still, for some reason saying those things had helped to heal her hurting heart.

Jeremy shook his head as they parted, amazed at how far Yumi had fallen so fast. Was this the same Yumi who had laughed and shared jokes with them? It didn't seem to be, but he knew Yumi hadn't been herself lately and attributed it to a combination of too much stress from Lyoko and school and too little sleep.

"Thank you for the dance, Jeremy," Yumi said, breaking his train of thought.

"Oh, uh yeah, anytime," Jeremy replied, heading back toward his chair as the next fast paced song blared over the speakers.

"I don't think so, Einstein," Odd said, grabbing onto the young genius' arm and pulling him back toward the dance floor.

With a sigh, Yumi went back to Theo, trying to put a pleasant look on her face. Little did she know, her every move was being watched by a set of unwavering eyes. Hands in his pockets and shoulder slumped, his eyes never left the raven-haired girl as the night progressed. Many girls had asked him to dance, but each time he had declined, and each time the girl had gone away to nurse her injured pride and wonder what it was that held his attention so strongly. When the fifth slow song of the evening began, he was pleased to see Yumi and Samantha switch partners.

"Odd, have you seen Ulrich anywhere?" Yumi asked her dance partner.

"Only just after we came in," Odd replied, "I haven't seen him since. Why? Do you still "owe him a dance" too? Or maybe you want something else." Odd looked at her knowingly, reminding her that the moment she and Ulrich had shared that morning, was it just that morning?, hadn't gone by unnoticed.

"A dance. All I want is a dance," Yumi said, blushing slightly.

"If I see him I'll let him know you're looking for him," Odd replied.

"How's Samantha liking the dance?" Yumi asked.

"Uh... She seems to be enjoying herself," Odd said, his cheeks turning crimson.

When the song ended, the friends parted and went back to their original dance partners.

"Now you're mine for the rest of the night," Theo said, putting his arm around her shoulders possessively and walking them toward the punch bowl.

"Except for one dance," Yumi corrected, "I still have to dance with Ulrich."

"I don't think so," Theo said coldly, "Not after this morning. In fact, I don't want you around him anymore." At this latest disguised order, Yumi pulled away from Theo in surprise. When he turned an icy glare on her, she looked away.

"I need to use the restroom," she said quietly, looking at the floor. Without looking at him, she walked toward the bathrooms and wrapped her arm around her stomach, as if warding off invisible blows. Two pairs of eyes followed her retreating form until she entered the restroom and the door obscured their view. The first pair of eyes that turned away had a harsh look to them. The second pair stayed trained on the door. The owner of these eyes watched from a shadowed corner as he had before. So far, he had been successful in avoiding Yumi, though the text message made it seem like she wanted to see him here at the dance. Fifteen minutes went by and the raven-haired girl had not emerged.

* * *

AN: Ok, now that you've seen this chapter, here's a bit of a spoiler for the next. BTW, I'm keeping author notes.

'She froze as she heard something that sounded like a gunshot. Her eyes darted around, looking for the source, and didn't see the tree branch plummet in her direction'

There you go! Please review before you leave! Thanks, and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	19. Runaway Yumi

AN: Time for chapter 19! I foresee this story getting longer and longer, but I promise it will have an end, eventually. I don't know what that end is, though, because the characters keep going against my wishes and doing things to surprise me. In the last chapter, Ulrich was _supposed _to dance with Yumi, but for some reason he wanted to watch instead. I just couldn't get the darn guy to dance with her! I always have the most problems with him... Anyway, enough about rebellious characters. I want to thank Humanoid05 for pointing out a big mistake in my last chapter regarding something Theo said, but I put Ulrich's name in by accident. It has been fixed! Also, thank you Magicalfairy12 for telling me what you liked about it so I can keep doing those things. Now to dedicate this chapter... this time it goes to Kagome21 because he/she went back through all the chapters and added his/her input instead of just reviewing the last chapter he/she read. I appreciate all the effort you guys put in your reviews, they really help me keep writing, even when the characters aren't doing what I want them to :P. And now, onto the chapter! Sorry it's so short, the next one will be longer, promise! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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Yumi sat on the floor of a stall, leaning her head and back against the wall. The tiles felt icy against her fevered body, and her eyes were shut tight against the spinning dizzy feeling. Yumi's arms and legs felt like lead, and even tilting her head down to look at her watch and cracking open one eye sent a wave of nausea through her. I have to go back out there, she thought as she squeezed her eyes back shut, I've been in here for half an hour. With great difficulty, she forced herself to her feet and leaned back against the wall until the lightheaded feeling dissipated. She pushed herself away from the wall and though she swayed a bit, she stayed on her feet. Unlocking the stall door, she took one slow step at a time until she reached the sink. Dampening a paper towel, she patted it against her face in an effort to cool down. After five more minutes, she was able to walk without wobbling. She squared her shoulders and walked out of the bathroom. Yumi still felt lightheaded, but she knew if she stayed much longer, Theo would be even angrier.

"What took you so long?" Theo snapped, grabbing onto her left wrist and pulling her to the dance floor. Yumi stumbled as the sudden movement made her even dizzier.

"I want to go home," she said softly, trying to pull her wrist away from his vice-like grip.

"You're staying here until I say you can go," Theo said coldly, pulling her to him. Yumi's heart beat sped up as her mind replayed the morning's incident and she broke away from him. Her resistance startled him, and he lost his grip on her. Not looking back, Yumi shouldered her way through the couples on the dance floor and ran out the school door.

During the dance, the storm had unleashed its fury and rain pounded down on everything within its path. Every now and then, a flash of lightning would illuminate the sky, followed by the boom of thunder. The angry raindrops splashed against Yumi's body, soaking her in seconds. Her feet automatically carried her homeward but, after only a block, another wave of nausea hit her and she slowed to a walk. It was then that she noticed the rain and heard the wind screaming as it whipped through the leaves of the trees surrounding the sidewalk she traversed and saw the lightning light up the distance she had yet to walk. She stopped under a tree that was able to partially block the tumult. The rain was icy and Yumi shivered slightly, her previously fevered body began cooling off slowly. Yumi swayed as another strong wind blew through the trees. She froze as she heard something that sounded like a gunshot. Her eyes darted around, looking for the source, and didn't see the tree branch as it plummeted in her direction.

AN: Ok, here's the spoiler for the next chapter! I was going to leave a better one, but that would ruin the surprise, and maybe even give you a heart attack.

' "Hi Ulrich, want to dance?" Emily asked, walking up to him.

"Hey Emily. I was just leaving, sorry - maybe next time."

"Where are you going this early? It's only ten... there's still two hours left to dance."

"A friend needs me," was Ulrich's reply.

"This friend does too. One dance? Then you can leave."'

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AN: There you go! Will Ulrich dance with Emily? Or will he go to help his friend? Which friend does he have to go help? What will the title of the next chapter be? Stay tuned to find out! Please leave a review before you go, thanks!


	20. The Search for Yumi

AN: Ok, time for the next chapter! First of all, let's clear some things up. There was no gunshot. If you read chapter 18, it says it sounds like a gunshot. That's just the sound of a very large branch breaking. Also, Theo is a character from the show. He appears in the episode Claustrophobia. He is not my character and never was. And, if you get angry with me while reading this chapter, read the author note at the end. Just so you know, I'm working on changing the spelling of Ulrich's name to the correct form. From this chapter on, it should be Ulrich with an h. When I get time, I'll change the others. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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An angry Theo strode out of the gym and back to his dorm. Close behind him was an equally angry Ulrich, who had observed the whole thing from a distance.

"What did you do to her?" Ulrich half-shouted at Theo's back.

Turning around, Theo fixed a disdainful glare on Ulrich and sneered, "I didn't do anything to her. Why don't you go find her and take her back to bed with you? Or did she run away from you when she woke up?"

Ulrich felt his blood begin to boil and in an attempt to forgo a fight, he turned away to walk back to the gym. She wouldn't just leave like that, Ulrich thought. He stopped before the gym doors, debating whether or not to tell Jeremy and Odd his plan. Making his decision, Ulrich slipped into the gym and walked unobtrusively around the carefree students. Even Jeremy had lightened up and was trying to dance with one of Sam's friends. His movements were a little awkward, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. When he reached the door Yumi had stormed out of, Ulrich looked back.

"Hi Ulrich, want to dance?" Emily asked, walking up to him.

"Hey Emily. I was just leaving, sorry - maybe next time."

"Where are you going this early? It's only ten.. there's still two hours left to dance."

"A friend needs me," was Ulrich's reply.

"This friend does too. One dance? Then you can leave."

Ulrich felt like he was being pulled in two directions. Part of him wanted to go make sure Yumi was alright. The other part wanted to stay and dance with Emily. She seemed to like him where Yumi was dating Theo and was therefore off-limits. Yumi hadn't even looked for him tonight though she said she would see him here. His decision made, Ulrich took Emily's outstretched hand and let her pull him to the dance floor.

"One dance," he said as the song began.

Three songs later, Ulrich pulled away from Emily.

"I really have to go now," he said reluctantly, "I might be back later."

"I'll be waiting," Emily said and smiled at him.

Ulrich smiled back at her and walked out into the hall toward the front door. He figured Yumi stayed on campus. When he neared the door, he was surprised to see rain pouring down. The wind was so strong now that it was blowing the rain slant-wise. Quickly rethinking, Ulrich narrowed down the areas to those that offered shelter. That left the covered walkway around the school, the tool shed, the halls, and the sewer. He started with the walkway because he knew that would be one of her favorite places to go to calm down. It was also the best place to watch a storm from. This he knew, for many story nights he found himself hiding in these very shadows, letting the sights and smells of the angry weather wash over him. When his search of the walkway yielded no results, he went next to the halls. A brief glance down the halls of the school and dorms also left him still searching. I guess it's out into the rain then, Ulrich thought. Heading toward the tool shed first, Ulrich made full use of the tree cover as he ran. He jiggled the doorknob to no avail as it was locked. The windows were left uncovered and a quick look inside showed Yumi was not there.

The last place on campus was the entrance to the sewer. Luckily for Ulrich, the tree cover blocked most of the rain, leaving the brown haired boy mostly dry. Fumbling with the damp cover, Ulrich slid the manhole cover aside and climbed down, closing the passage behind him. Though Ulrich did not see Yumi, he didn't rule out the sewer. Opting to leave his skateboard behind, Ulrich started walking down the length of the passageway. The air was clammy and the smell not so wonderful, but he didn't mind. His footsteps echoed down the tunnels and he stuck his hands in his pockets. It was a lonely sound and the steady flow of water through the center of the tunnel did little to mask the noise. In his pocket, Ulrich's right hand touched his cell phone and wrapped around it. It would be a lot quicker to just call her, Ulrich reasoned, then I can check on her and get back to the dance. He pulled out the black device and accessed his contact list - Yumi's number was on top. Before pushing the button to initiate the call, Ulrich hesitated. What if she doesn't want to talk to anyone, he thought, what if she doesn't even have her phone with her? Doubt tugged at him, and before he could be overcome by it, he pushed the button and put the phone up to his ear. The rings seemed to go on endlessly until finally Ulrich ended the call. Slowly, the hand holding his cell phone fell until it hung freely at his side.

What now? I guess I should keep going until I find her, he thought, starting to walk toward the factory again. When Ulrich reached the end of the sewer, he climbed up the ladder and slid the manhole cover open. Though it seemed impossible, it was raining harder than before. After exiting the passage, he slid the cover back over the exit. He then made a dash across the bridge and shoved his cell phone back in his pocket. His hands now free, he used his momentum to leap at his usual rope and swung down to land in front of the elevator. As he straightened up from his half-crouched position, his eyes scanned the area. Once again, Yumi was not in sight. A quick inspection of the elevator, computer room, and ground floor confirmed his suspicions - Yumi was not there.

"Where are you, Yumi?" Ulrich wondered out loud. The steady plink of a leak in the ceiling was his only reply. Closing his eyes, he pictured Yumi as she ran out the door. Well, she's not on campus, Ulrich thought, and she's not here. If she would have kept going instead of stopping to find shelter from the rain.... she would be home! Pulling out his cell phone again, Ulrich dialed the Ishiyama's number. After two rings, a woman answered the phone.

"Hello Mrs. Ishiyama, this is Ulrich. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if Yumi's there."

"Yumi? She went to the dance. I'll let her know you called when she gets back, ok?" Yumi's mother replied, "You can come wait for her here if you'd like."

"Thank you, but I think I'll keep looking for her. If she doesn't want to call me when she gets back, could you give me a call? My number should still be in her contacts list. Thank you, Mrs. Ishiyama. Goodnight." Ulrich ended the call and put his cell phone back in his pocket. Not home either, he thought, walking toward the factory entrance. He made his way back through the sewer and onto school grounds. His feet carried him to his dorm and, his mind still clouded, he unlocked his door and entered. He fished his coat out of the closet and changed back into his normal clothes. Slipping the dark brown jacket on, he headed out of his dorm.

His plan was to retrace her steps from the moments she left the gym if she took a straight path home. Instead of cutting through the gym, Ulrich slipped through the boys' locker room. The outside exit was close to the door Yumi had left through, and once outside, Ulrich walked on the same sidewalk she had traversed only a half hour before. Hands in his jacket pockets, Ulrich kept his head down to keep the rain from hitting his eyes. Though he did his best to stay under the cover of the trees along the sidewalk, the rain still got through. After only a few minutes, his hair was plastered to his head and his pants were soaked. The only part of him that was dry was that which was covered by the jacket. Luckily before leaving, Ulrich had transferred his cell phone from his dress pants to his jacket.

Once he has walked a block, Ulrich stepped off the sidewalk and sheltered under a leafy tree that could keep him relatively dry. Pulling out his cell phone, he checked for any new messages or missed calls. Finding none, he started to put it back in his pocket. His hand stopped halfway, then he brought the phone back up. Wiping the rain from his face, he selected Yumi's number from his contacts list and called her. He put the phone up to his ear and listened to the dull monotone of the ring. Faintly, his ears picked up another sound. It was so quiet that at first he thought he was mistaken, but as he looked in the direction of the noise, his breath caught in his throat. The sound he had heard was Yumi's cell phone ringing and in the distance he could see a motionless body.

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AN: Alright, for any of you angry with me for having Ulrich dance with Emily, hear me out BEFORE you flame. All flames will be directed at the bottle of water I keep with me which will therefore render them useless. Ulrich didn't know Yumi was in trouble. If he would have known, he probably would have walked right past her. Emily didn't know Ulrich was going to help Yumi, who was in trouble. If she did know, she would have helped Ulrich find Yumi. It just so happens that Ulrich was feeling a little lonely so he agreed to a dance, then lost track of the time. There, now that's out of the way. Onto the spoiler!

'Lightning flashed across the sky as Ulrich reached Yumi's side. The sight he beheld was not pleasant. Yumi was sprawled face-down on the sidewalk with a good sized tree branch laying across her back and shoulders. When the lightning lit up the sky again, one could see that Yumi's head laid in a small red-tinged pool.'

There you go! I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter up cuz it soooo loooooong! It took me forever to write! I just hope it doesn't take me forever to type! Many reviews would be helpful in getting it done sooner ; ). Well, I'm out of here for now. Please leave a review before you go, thanks!


	21. Found!

AN: I know I said this chapter was going to be longer, but that was before I typed it. I guess handwritten work seems a lot longer than it actually is. Or maybe it's because I worked for so long on this chapter. Anyway, I'm sorry it's not longer. A lot of it is dialogue towards the end. I'm trying to keep a lot of details which sometimes makes it harder since I don't want to contradict myself. Thank you for all your reviews! You've done wonderfully! I am blessed to have fans like you. I know I don't usually welcome new readers, but I am a HUGE fan of his work, so welcome G-Force 4! If any of you get the chance, I recommend you check out his fic Code Lyoko: A Retelling. It's awesome! He should be getting all these reviews, not me. I'm glad you guys seem to enjoy the journal entries, dreams, and spoilers I've been trying to incorporate in this story. I'm hoping more action in Lyoko will be coming soon. I'm searching for a part where it doesn't add more confusion. There may only be one or two more visits to Lyoko in this story, but the last one will be MASSIVE action-wise, I hope. Anyway, enough with my boring talk. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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Lightning flashed across the night sky as Ulrich reached Yumi's side. The sight he beheld was not pleasant. Yumi was sprawled face down on the sidewalk with a good sized tree branch laying across her back and shoulders. When the lightning lit up the sky again, one could see that Yumi's head laid in a small red-tinged pool. Quickly, Ulrich knelt down by the girl and felt for a pulse. At first his hands were shaking too much to find her pulse, for he was afraid of what he might, or rather might not, find.

Even when his fumbling fingers did find her slow, but steady pulse, Ulrich did not breath a sigh of relief. He knew that he needed to get the branch off her and get her some help. The problem was, he wasn't sure if he could lift a branch that size by himself. I have to try, he thought, grabbing onto the end which laid across her left shoulder. Straining his muscles, he was able to lift it a few inches. It's not enough, he thought, trying his best to keep the offending object from falling back onto Yumi. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the branch and didn't feel the sharp bark cut into his palms. Using all his strength, he was able to tip it up on the broken end, which rested against the ground by Yumi's lower back. Giving a mighty shove, he pushed the branch away from her unconscious body and it landed with a thud on the grass.

As much as he wanted to carry Yumi away to safety, Ulrich knew the force of the blow from the branch could have caused unseen damage. He couldn't move her until he was sure. Kneeling beside her again, Ulrich felt once more for her pulse, just to be sure. Though it was still steady, Ulrich was worried. Yumi's skin was icy and he didn't know how long she had been knocked out. Peeling off his jacket and olive over-shirt, he laid them on Yumi in an attempt to keep her from getting colder. It's time to call in the professionals, Ulrich thought solemnly, pulling his cell phone from the coat that now laid over Yumi. His fingers dialed the emergency number swiftly and a dispatcher picked up on the first ring.

"Emergency services, please state your name and emergency," the female voice said.

"My name is Ulrich and I just found one of my friends unconscious on the sidewalk," he replied, a tint of panic coloring his voice as he said those words, finally bringing it home to him how serious the situation was. His heart pounded against his chest so hard it felt like it was going to break free. Ulrich's eyes were burning, but he knew this was no time to go to pieces and cry - Yumi needed him now more than ever and he wasn't going to let her down.

"Ok, Ulrich, could you tell me where you are and what happened? I'll send an ambulance immediately."

"I'm on Washington Street and the nearest house is number 243," Ulrich said shakily, "I don't know what happened. Yumi left the dance and I was worried when she didn't come back so I went to find her and at least half an hour later I found her here with a tree branch laying across her and she wasn't moving. She breathing and has a pulse, but she's really cold. I lifted the branch off her an put my coat on her, then I called you."

"Ok, I just sent the ambulance out to find you," the dispatcher said calmly, "I need you to stay on the line with me until they get there, ok? Can you do that for me Ulrich?"

"Yeah," Ulrich replied, the hand holding the phone shaking from cold and nerves.

"You said your friend's name is Yumi, correct?"

"Yeah, Yumi Ishiyama."

"Tell me about Yumi."

"Well, she has black hair and dark eyes..." Ulrich began, wondering what the woman all wanted to know, "Umm... she has white skin and is wearing a black top and skirt. What else do you want to know?"

"What's she like?" the dispatcher asked, trying to keep him calm and talking.

"She smart - funny too... She can be quiet. Yumi seems to know how you're feeling just by looking at you. She can be spontaneous at times too."

"Spontaneous? Give me an example."

"Umm.. well, after school yesterday she called me and asked if she could crash at the dorm Odd, that's one of my other friends, and I share. We're all students at Kadics," Ulrich explained.

"Kadics, huh? That's where I used to go," the dispatcher said pleasantly, "The ambulance should be arriving in a moment. Can you see it yet?"

"I can hear the sirens and see some flashing lights," Ulrich replied, looking down the street.

"Good," the dispatcher said, "Now I need you to stand by the curb so they can see you, ok?"

"Alright," Ulrich said, standing up and doing as he was told. A few seconds later, the ambulance jerked to a stop by the curb near Ulrich and the back doors opened. "They're here," Ulrich told the dispatcher, "Thanks."

"You're quite welcome," she replied, "I hope things go well for you and Yumi. Goodbye, Ulrich."

"Goodbye." As Ulrich ended the call, one of the two paramedics stopped in front of him.

"Are you the one who found her?" the man asked as his female partner attended to Yumi.

"Yes, sir," Ulrich said, trying to keep his teeth chattering from the cold.

"Would you like to ride with her to the hospital?" the man asked kindly.

"Yes, sir," Ulrich replied. By this time, the man's partner had a neck brace on Yumi and was loading her onto the stretcher. The man joined her and together they pushed the gurney to the back of the ambulance and loaded it in.

"Come on," the man said, motioning for Ulrich to get into the back, "You can ride right here beside her."

"T-thank you," Ulrich stuttered, hardly able to make his shivering body respond. Once he climbed into the ambulance, the man wrapped a warm blanket around Ulrich and spread a few on top of Yumi. While the two monitored her vitals and assessed her injuries, Ulrich slid his hand out from under the blanket and clutched Yumi's tightly. It was then that he noticed the blood smeared across his palm. The female paramedic who sat beside him saw it too and she pulled his hand from Yumi's for long enough to clean and dress it, then asked for the other and did the same. Once she was satisfied, she went back to monitoring Yumi and Ulrich grasped the unconscious girl's hand once more, this time not letting go until they reached the hospital.

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AN: Ok, I know this is pathetic. I pretty much know the whole dispatcher routine. My family used to watch a ton of paramedic shows. It's sad, I know. The feeling I was trying to convey was Ulrich being quite rattled in this chapter. Now it's that time again.. spoiler time!!!

'If only I would have left the dance right away instead of dancing with Emily, he thought, maybe I could have been there and kept her from getting hurt. It's all my fault...'

Oooo.... someone's feeling guilty. What's going to happen to Ulrich? What about Yumi? Where's everyone else? Will I ever reach the 400 review mark? Will I ever get rid of my cold (it's going on 3 weeks strong!) ? Stay tuned for the next chapter! Please leave a review before you go, thanks!


	22. Strange Findings

AN: Many, many apologies for taking so long! You would seriously not believe the week I've had... I've been trying for the past few days to get this one typed up, promise! I didn't have the time to proof-read it so if you all could do that for me and let me know where the errors are, I would really appreciate it! First of all, thank you for your concern about my cold. I went to the doctor and now they have me taking 4 pills a day to get rid of it. So far it hasn't worked, but I'm still trying! Second, in my author note at the end of the previous chapter, I meant me knowing the whole routine with emergengy dispatchers was pathetic, not the chapter. I'm glad you guys liked the detail with the dispatcher. I'm going to keep working on getting stuff typed up. I have one more chapter handwritten and hope to get it typed up in the next few days and posted. The one after that should be veeeeery long and I'm still working on it. It will take place in Lyoko... well sort of. I've been working on some drawings for G-Force 4 of the characters he created and if he thinks they're good enough, he might let me show you them. Maybe. Anyways, here's your chapter! Read, review, and enjoy!

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Ulrich sat in the waiting room surrounded by Yumi's parents, Odd, and Jeremy. He had already been interrogated by the doctors, then Yumi's parents and friends. Everyone was quiet as they processed the information they had just received from the emotionally and physically exhausted brown haired boy. Odd sat on Ulrich's left side, and Mrs. Ishiyama sat on Ulrich's right. Jeremy and Mr. Ishiyama chose nearby chairs as they all waited for news on Yumi's condition. Ulrich's shoulders were slumped in defeat, and the worried boy hung his head and covered his face with his bandaged hands. If only I would have left the dance right away instead of dancing with Emily, he thought, maybe I could have been there and kept her from getting hurt. It's all my fault...

As if reading his friend's mind, Odd clasped Ulrich's shoulder tightly as a reassurance and said quietly, "You did what you could. Now it's up to Yumi and the doctors. She'll be fine, don't worry."

After a few moments of silence, a doctor walked out of the emergency room and over to the small group. Odd withdrew his hand from Ulrich's shoulder and all but the distressed brown haired boy looked up at the doctor expectantly.

"Ulrich, could you please come with me for a minute?" she asked gently.

"How's Yumi?" he asked, standing up slowly, his bandaged hands falling limply at his sides.

"She's stable now and we're working on assessing her smaller injuries and warming her up," the doctor replied.

"Will she be ok?" Mrs. Ishiyama asked anxiously.

"Yes, but we need to keep her here for a few days for observation." At this news, the group visibly relaxed.

"So she won't be paralyzed?" Mr. Ishiyama asked.

"It is possible that she will temporarily be paralyzed until her muscles start healing, but after that she'll be able to move around like she did before the accident," the doctor reassured him.

"May we see her?" Mrs. Ishiyama asking, fighting tears of relief.

"In a little bit," the doctor replied, "Follow me please, Ulrich." The doctor turned around and walked back into the emergency room with Ulrich right behind her. When he saw Yumi, his breath caught in his throat. She was laying on her left side and wires were attached to various points on her body and an IV had been started in her right wrist. A small pile of blankets covered her, except for her back, which was left open. Yumi's skirt and shirt had been removed and she was now dressed in a two-piece hospital gown. The back of the shirt was left open and a diagonal strip from her left shoulder to her lower right back was bruised. Yumi's arms rested outside the blankets and where the long-sleeves of the gown ended, bandages began. Like Ulrich, her palms were wrapped in white gauze. The boy could see a darkish smudge on Yumi's right cheek that he hadn't noticed before.

"We need your help," the doctor said, breaking Ulrich's concentration, "Some of the bruising on her body doesn't match your description of what happened. Neither does the scrapes on her hands. Could you show me again where the branch was when you found her?"

Ulrich walked closer to the raven-haired girl and brought his hand close to her back, but didn't touch it. He marveled at the fact that, toward her lower back, the bruise was nearly as wide as his hand.

"The leafy part was up here," Ulrich said, pointing to Yumi's left shoulder where the bruising was the smallest, "And the part that had broken off from the tree was just past her side over here." Ulrich pointed to a spot about an inch away from the top of Yumi's right hip.

"Were there any smaller branches nearby or on her arm or face?" the woman asked.

"No, at least not that I could see," Ulrich answered, "Why? I only see a little bit of something on her cheek."

Silently, the woman doctor rolled Yumi's right sleeve up carefully until a large bruise was exposed. Speechless, Ulrich walked around the bed until he was on Yumi's other side. It was then that he saw the full bruising on her cheek.

"We suspected the bruises on her arm and cheek were not from tonight's incident," the doctor said, rolling Yumi's sleeve back down carefully.

"But I saw her this morning and she didn't have any bruises on her," Ulrich said, still staring at the black and blue mark on Yumi's cheek.

"How about later in the day?"

"I saw her at the dance, but I didn't get too close," Ulrich replied, "The only time I got a good look at her was when she was in the hallway with her boyfriend and I didn't see any marks then either." Ulrich hated calling Theo Yumi's boyfriend, but he knew it was true and he wanted to help the doctors as much as possible so Yumi could get better sooner. Speaking of Theo, where was he? Surely he would want to be here with Yumi too, right?

"Thanks for your help, Ulrich," the doctor said kindly, once again breaking Ulrich's concentration, "We'll be moving her to her own room now. Would you like to come with her? I'll let her friends and family know what's going on."

"Thanks," Ulrich said, still watching Yumi as the nurses began preparing for the move, "What happened to her hands, anyway?"

"That's another thing we couldn't figure out," the doctor admitted, "They were scraped like yours, only shallower, but hers weren't bleeding. In fact, they were already beginning to heal. It looked like they hadn't been cleaned properly when they were injured either because we found dirt in the wounds."

"I see," Ulrich said, even though he didn't.

"Sir, are these yours?" a nurse asked, carrying over Ulrich's jacket and over-shirt.

"Yeah, thanks," Ulrich said, taking the items. Ulrich's clothes were still soaked and he had abandoned the blanket when he got out of the ambulance. The intensity of the past events had made him oblivious to the cold and now that the worst was over, it all came flooding back. The cuts on his palms began to sting and an opening door left in a cold gust of air that washed over the emergency room occupants and sliced through Ulrich's drenched clothes. Though he tried to hide it, Ulrich couldn't help but shiver. The nurse noticed this and a practiced eye saw the fatigue he also tried to disguise.

"Doctor, I think we should keep him for observation tonight also," she said, "Why don't we put them in a double room?" The doctor caught on and nodded her agreement.

"That and a hero's treatment," the doctor said.

"I'm no hero," Ulrich protested.

"In her eyes, I'm sure you are," the nurse said, "Now let's get you into some dry clothes and up to your room." Too tired to argue any further, Ulrich trudged after the nurse. She found Ulrich a spare set of hospital clothes and handed the brown haired boy the light blue outfit. She then steered him to a small room where he could change. When he came out, she took his wet clothes from him.

"I'll have these washed and dried and sent up to you in the morning," she promised. Ulrich kept his coat and over shirt, along with his cell phone. "Now you just go up those steps and it's the first door on your left - room 113."

"Thank you," Ulrich said as he started climbing the flight of stairs. Each step seemed to get larger and his weary body's protest grew stronger with each stair. Finally reaching the top, Ulrich pushed open the door to the room he and Yumi would be sharing. He was surprised to see the dark haired girl had already been brought up, along with her family and friends.

"Nice clothes," Odd remarked, "Are you trying to start a new trend?" The two blond boys sat on a couch which had been pushed up against one of the walls opposite the two beds. The two hospital beds were side-by-side with the headboards against another wall and an aisle between them. Yumi's bed was closest to the door, while his was next to the window. Two chairs had been pulled up on either side of Yumi's bed and they now contained her parents.

"Leave him alone, he's had a rough night," Jeremy said quietly to Odd.

"It was just a joke," Odd said lightly.

"What did the doctor tell you?" Ulrich asked Yumi's parents.

"They said she has some bruising on her back from the branch and should stay in bed for at least a day. They also said she has a slight concussion and a cut on her forehead from when she hit the sidewalk. The strangest thing they noticed was she's suffering from malnourishment. I saw her eat lunch today, though," Mrs. Ishiyama said, "The doctor says she's lucky not to have been completely paralyzed from the blow to her back." At this, Mrs. Ishiyama began to tear up and her husband put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"I'm glad she's going to be ok," Ulrich said, walking toward his bed.

"If you hadn't found her..." Yumi's dad began, then broke off as emotion overwhelmed him.

"What we want to say is, thank you," Yumi's mother said, smiling warmly at Ulrich.

"It was nothing, really," Ulrich insisted, placing his hand on the bed to steady himself.

"I think it's time we left, Odd," Jeremy said, standing up, "We'll come by and see you two in the morning."

"Bye," Ulrich said to his friends' retreating backs.

"You should sleep now," Mrs. Ishiyama said, standing up. Once Ulrich has set his coat, over shirt, and the cell phone on an empty chair, he climbed into bed and tried to pull the covers over himself. The bandages on his hands impeded him and Yumi's mother walked around to Ulrich's bed and tucked him in.

"Goodnight, Ulrich," she said. She almost bent down to kiss his forehead as she had done to Yumi when she was younger, but she stopped herself and settled on brushing stray hairs from his face instead.

"My wife and I will be staying in the room next door if you need anything," Yumi's father said gruffly as he stood up.

"Yes, sir," Ulrich said as his eyelids began to droop. The last thing he saw before he drifted off to sleep was Yumi's unconscious body.

* * *

AN: I hope you liked that chapter! I was thinking about having Yumi paralyzed, but decided it would add to the story more if she could still move around. Ok, here's your spoiler for the next chapter! Enjoy!

'What happened? Where am I? Why is it so dark? What are all these wires and tubes attatched to me? Why do I hurt so badly? My head aches, and my back too. What's wrong with me?'

Yes.. I know... as a spoiler that sucked, but I can't reveal too much, now can I? Leave a review as you go, please. Thanks!


	23. Yumi Wakes

AN: As some of you have noticed, I changed my title! I finally settled on one I liked. Thanks to all of you who proofread for me! It really, really helps! For some reason many of you think I'm going to give her anmesia... Am I really that evil? Don't answer that :P. You'll have to read and find out, I'm not going to tell you otherwise.Also, thanks Yumi-Code Lyoko for the web site address! It's nice to finally hear the whole song with the words! I'm not sure when the next chapter is coming... It's taking forever to write cuz it's really long! At least handwritten it is! Plus I have a paper due next Thursday and we're going on vacation again and I have colorguard and two jobs... the list just goes on! I'll try to get it done and get the next chapter posted. I think you guys will like it. At least, I hope you will! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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What happened? Where am I? Why is it so dark? What are all these wires and tubes attached to me? Why do I hurt so badly? My head aches, and my back too. What's wrong with me?

By the time Yumi's eyes started to adjust to the darkness, her heart was racing. In response, the machine that monitored her heart beeped faster and at a slightly higher pitch. The unexpected sound woke Ulrich from a dreamless sleep and the brown haired boy saw the wide eyes of the alarmed Yumi.

"Welcome back," Ulrich said softly to her.

At the sound of his voice, Yumi relaxed slightly and ventured her first question, "What happened?"

Slowly, Ulrich started at the beginning of his search and explained up until the point where they arrived at the hospital. He left out his encounter with Theo and the damage done to his hands.

"So now they need to keep you for observation until tomorrow and then you have to be careful and rest," Ulrich finished. Yumi silently processed this information, then touched her right cheek lightly and grimaced when even that slight pressure on the bruise brought pain. Also, she noticed the powdery feel was gone, which meant her concealer had been removed. It was then that she noticed the bandages on her palms.

"Yumi? Something happened to you before the dance, didn't it?" Ulrich said quietly, watching her face for a reaction.

"Yes," she whispered, a lump growing in her throat from tears that threatened to fall.

"You can tell me if you want." Ulrich said softly, trying to reassure her.

"I-I can't," Yumi said, her voice breaking. She closed her eyes, for she was physically unable to turn away from his sincere gaze.

"When you do need to talk, I'll be here," Ulrich promised, "You should try to rest now."

"Ok... Thank you for saving me, Ulrich."

"I didn't even do anything," Ulrich replied, "Just moved a branch and called the emergency services."

Knowing it was useless to argue with him, Yumi tried to go to sleep. Too many bad images and memories flew through her mind, including the previous night's bad dream, the incidents with Theo, and her recent accident. Unable to banish the images, Yumi sighed and opened her eyes. She knew she was safe here in the hospital, but she couldn't shake the bad feelings.

As if reading her mind, Ulrich slid off his bed and sat in one of the chairs beside her. He placed his bandaged hand over Yumi's and she started at the sight of the gauze.

"Your hand..." she said, "What happened?"

"I.... just scraped them up a little lifting that branch," Ulrich said, looking down at the other which rested in his lap. Gently, Yumi took his hand in both of hers and slowly unwrapped the gauze bandage. Ulrich winced but said nothing as the wounds reopened and blood started seeping from them slowly. When Yumi had it halfway uncovered, Ulrich looked up and watched. The IV in her right wrist impeded her slightly, but finally she pulled off the last part of the bandage.

Yumi's eyes welled up with tears as she saw the cuts on his palm. The vertical scores covered most of his palm - not even an inch was left unmarred. Ulrich's blood started to pool in the natural dips in his hand and as a drop fell onto the hand Yumi used to cup Ulrich's, her tears, too, started to fall.

"It's ok, Yumi," Ulrich said, "It doesn't hurt." He knew that was a lie, but he truly didn't want to be the cause of more of her pain.

"You didn't have to do this for me," she whispered, "I'm not worth it."

"Yes you are," Ulrich insisted. He pulled his hand from hers slowly and dabbed at the cuts with some tissues he found on a nearby stand. Then he replaced the gauze pad and tried to rewrap his palm using the other injured hand - he failed miserably.

"Let me help," Yumi said quietly. Ulrich hesitated, then nodded and held out the unwrapped hand to her. She picked up the white wrap and slowly wound it around the gashes, her own bandaged hands hindering her slightly. Occasionally, a tear would fall onto the bandage. Ulrich hated seeing her cry, but he knew he probably wouldn't be able to do much to stop it.

"Don't cry," Ulrich said softly. Then, mimicking Odd's voice, he said, "There's enough water out there without you adding to it." This elicited a slight smile from Yumi. Indeed, the rain was coming down as hard as ever ad looked as though it wouldn't be letting up for a while.

"You know, Odd and Jeremy came to see you tonight," Ulrich said lightly in an effort to cheer her up, "Maybe they could sneak us some good food tomorrow."

Yumi nodded once slowly in response. In truth, she could have cared less about the food. She doubted her appetite would be back by then anyway. Instead, she was acutely aware of the fact that she was still holding onto Ulrich's bandaged hand with both of hers as she rested her hands on the bed.

"Ulrich... I'm afraid to go back to sleep," Yumi confessed, "So many bad things have happened lately and I'm afraid that if I close my eyes, they'll all come back to me." Yumi let go of Ulrich's hand carefully and stared at her sheets instead of Ulrich, ashamed of what she had just revealed. For so long she had tried to be strong, just to throw it away now.

"I'll sit here beside you and make sure nothing happens to you," Ulrich promised, "And if it looks like you're having a bad dream, I'll wake you up."

"Thank you," Yumi said quietly, still not meeting Ulrich's eyes. He put his right hand lightly on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"You can sleep now, you're safe with me."

* * *

AN: Poor Yumi.... Poor Ulrich! His hands are really messed up! Well, time for a spoiler!

' "Yumi, do something!" Aelita cried as the beam sped toward me. Too late, the others saw what was going on. The laser hit me in the torso, throwing me back several feet - and right in the path of a mega tank. It lost no time in charging a blast of its own and fired the wall at me. Once again, I flew into the air. This time, I landed at Ulrich's feet.'

There you go! I told you there'd be more action involved, you just had to wait for the right time. The next chapter is action-packed, you just wait and see!


	24. Trapped

AN: Many, many, MANY apologies for taking so long to update. I wanted to give you guys an awesome chapter so I took extra time on this one. I don't have all too much to say on this author note, so I'll be quick and let you get straight to the chapter. I would like to dedicate this chapter to ... and thank him/her for the review he/she left. That reviewer left some interesting suggestions and gave me the sort of review I look forward to getting. Thank you again! Now, onto the chapter. I feel the need to remind you that the :: indicates a dream beginning and ending. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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::Everything was dark. I couldn't see, hear, or touch anything. Where am I, my mind screamed as I found my voice could not. Slowly, my mind rewound and played from the beginning.

I was in Lyoko with Odd, Ulrich and Aelita. On earth, X.A.N.A. had gotten control of a fierce storm and was making it stronger by the minute. At the moment all of us, except Jeremy, were in Lyoko and were surrounded by four mega tanks and three crabs.

"Laser arrow!" Odd cried as he fired the dart at the crab nearest to him. The blow glanced off the monster, causing little damage.

"You did 15 points damage," Jeremy announced, his voice seeming to hang down from the sky of Lyoko.

"You can do better than that," Ulrich scoffed at the blond haired warrior.

"You're right," Odd said, setting up his next shot more carefully. "Laser arrow!" This time, his shot was dead-on, destroying the crab.

"My turn!" Ulrich half-shouted as he leapt at a crab, stabbing at the X.A.N.A. symbol on the top. "Impact!"

"Nice one," Odd remarked as he set his sights on a mega tank, "The last crab is yours, Yumi."

"Ok, here it goes," I said, flicking open my fan. I sighted the monster I was to destroy, but as I went to throw my weapon at it, my body froze. While I was incapacitated, the crab took the opportunity to charge a laser and fire. Unable to move, I braced myself mentally for the pain to come.

"Yumi, do something!" Aelita cried as the beam sped toward me. Too late, the others saw what was going on. The laser hit me in the torso, throwing me back several feet - and right in the path of a mega tank. It lost no time in charging a blast of its own and fired the wall at me. Once again, I flew into the air. This time, I landed at Ulrich's feet.

"Yumi, only 70 life points left," Jeremy announced.

"Odd, get Aelita out of here," Ulrich barked at his friend, "Yumi and I will take care of things here."

"But I-," I started to say before Ulrich cut me off.

"Yum, I could really use your help," he said tersely, trying to fend off the last crab and three of the mega tanks. Odd had taken out a tank as he took Aelita to safety, but the we were still outnumbered.

"I can't move," I blurted out. As I said it, the three tanks around us fired on Ulrich at the same time, lifting him up from the sheer force of the blows, then throwing him back toward me.

"Ulrich, only 60 life points left," Jeremy said as he watched his friend's virtual life drain away. The last crab loomed over me menacingly and, in an act of savagery, it crouched down so the charging laser was even with my face.

"Get out of there!" Jeremy shouted frantically. I tried again to move, but failed. The only part of me I could still move was my head. This I turned away, obscuring my view of the nearly charged beam. Seconds seemed to drag on for hours as I waited for the blast to hit and bring the pain I was so used to. I closed my eyes in resignation, but the laser never struck. Surprised at the delay, I opened my eyes and turned my head back to look at the crab - only it wasn't there. It was then that the sounds caught up to me. First, a scream - was that really my voice?

"Yumi!" Ulrich had yelled before his side slammed into the crab, knocking it off balance and sending the beam speeding off into the sky. Next came the crunch as Ulrich hit the ground, his left shoulder taking the brunt of the blow. The rest of the sounds then caught up, but I didn't care about them. All I could think about was Ulrich throwing himself against the crab and hurting himself - for me.

Finally, my muscles would respond. My heart sank, though, as it was too late. Somehow sensing Ulrich's defenses were down, the remaining four monsters had encircled him. I snapped my fan open, stood, and whipped it at the throng. Along its arcing path, it destroyed a tank, then a crab, their pieces scattering as they exploded. The remaining two tanks unleashed their laser wall on the defenseless boy, trapping him between the beams momentarily, then pitching him backward.

"Thirty life points left Ulrich," Jeremy said, holding his head in his hands, "And Odd and Aelita need help!"

As I ran over to Ulrich, my fan flew my way and I caught it expertly. When I reached him, I stood over his body protectively. As it was, Ulrich was cradling his left arm in his right and appeared to be in shock. From the looks of it, Ulrich seemed to have dislocated his shoulder, but I wasn't sure. I snapped my fan open, ready to defend us, when I felt my movements slow. This time it only lasted for a few seconds, but I knew it could get worse at any moment.

Aware of the gravity of the situation, I took the offensive, hoping to eradicate the tanks before I was incapacitated again. My first throw was too high, but my second hit the mark and only one mega tank remained. While I set up my next shot, the mega tank started charging its laser. Knowing it was now or never, I flicked my wrist and released my weapon. Not bad, I thought to myself as the fan sliced cleanly through the center of X.A.N.A.'s symbol, quickly destroying the tank. I wasted no time celebrating, though, as Ulrich was still injured because of me.

"Are you alright?" I asked Ulrich, kneeling down beside him. During the fight, he had drawn himself into a sitting position so we were now level with each other.

"I'm fine," Ulrich said shortly, still cradling his left arm, "You?"

"I'm ok... I don't know what happened before... It was like I couldn't move."

"It was probably some glitch in the program," Ulrich said, looking me in the eye. Unable to contain myself any longer, I wrapped my arms around him, being mindful of his injury. I laid my cheek against his and the tears that coursed down my face wet his cheek too.

"Your getting hurt was all my fault," I said softly, guilt washing over me.

"It could have happened to any one of us," Ulrich said, pulling away from me slowly. He brought his right hand up to my face and used his thumb to carefully wipe the tears from my cheeks. I felt my face heat up and saw an answering blush appear on Ulrich's.

"When the two of you are done, Odd and Aelita still need your help," Jeremy broke in. Ulrich and I stood up quickly. The sudden movement caused Ulrich to wince as it jarred his injured shoulder.

"You stay behind," I said, still feeling guilty, "You have too few life points left and you're injured. I'll go to Odd and Aelita."

"What happens if you freeze again?" Ulrich asked, "I'm coming with you."

"What about your shoulder? You can't run and fight with it like that," I protested.

"Maybe you could make some sort of sling," Jeremy suggested, trying to get the argument over and help to Aelita sooner. Ulrich and I looked around at our surroundings, searching for something to support his arm.

"I can't see anything we could use," Ulrich said, frustration clear in his voice.

"I can," I said quietly. Ulrich looked at me questioningly so I reached my hands up and put my fingertips lightly on his headband. I ran my fingers around the strip until I reached the knot at the back. As my fingers struggled to untie it, I realized how close my actions had brought us. Our cheeks were almost touching and his warm breath puffed against the side of my neck as he tilted his head down to aide my search. I felt my face heat up again and my fingers flew faster trying to untie the tightly made knot. Finally, it gave way and I pulled away, the ends of the strip held between my fingertips.

"Good thinking, Yumi," Jeremy said, "Now tie it on and get to the other two." Carefully, I wrapped the middle of the headband around Ulrich's injured arm to keep it from slipping, then secured it tightly on the other side of his neck. Once I withdrew, Ulrich slowly lowered his right hand and let the sling take the full weight of his arm.

"Better?" I asked. Ulrich nodded and we were off, weaving through the trees toward the desert region. I glanced over at him every now and then and saw his brow was furrowed more often than not. I'm not sure if he was thinking about the upcoming battle or the pain in his shoulder. Before long, the terrain showed less trees and the soil became sandier. Shortly after that, the trees disappeared completely and we were fully in the desert region.

"Where to now, Jeremy?" Ulrich asked, stopping beside me.

"Odd and Aelita are behind the rock formation to your left," Jeremy answered. We looked over and, sure enough, Aelita was waving at us to get our attention.

"We see them, let's go," I said, changing direction and running toward the two with Ulrich right beside me.

"Hey Ulrich, what happened to your arm?" Odd asked when we reached them and slowed to a stop.

"Nothing," Ulrich replied, "Let's get to the tower and get this over with."

"We're not far away," Aelita said, "Just beyond that outcropping."

"How many monsters?" I asked.

"Five crabs and seven hornets," Jeremy replied.

"Piece of cake," Odd said, "I could have taken care of them myself, but I didn't want you guys to miss out on the fun and Jeremy told us to wait so Aelita wouldn't budge."

"Ok then Super Odd, you can go to the left while Ulrich and I go to the right," I said.

"Super Odd, I like that," Odd said, edging around the rocks.

"More like super ego," Jeremy muttered. Ulrich and I chuckled as we went around our side.

"How many arrows do I have left?" Odd asked, ignoring Jeremy's remark.

"Seven," Jeremy answered, "And the storm's getting even stronger so you guys need to hurry."

"We know," I said. Flicking open my fan, I set up my first shot. The arcing path sliced open a crab and I got that exhilarating feeling as my adrenaline rushed and body prepared for the battle. As soon as my fan came back to me, I was on the defensive. Two of the hornets had set their sights on Ulrich and I. I took it upon myself to defend us both to spare Ulrich the movement. He had already drawn his sword and held it out in front of him one handed.

"Ready?" he asked quietly. I nodded and we set up a maneuver we had worked out on Earth.

"I'll take the front," I said, opening my fan as wide as it would go.

"Now!" Ulrich shouted. We shot forward at the monsters, I in front deflecting the lasers from both of us and Ulrich behind me, preparing for his first strike. Once we were in range, I pulled to the side and back abruptly and Ulrich leapt forward and jumped onto the back of the crab on the farthest right.

"Impact!" Ulrich shouted, stabbing the X.A.N.A. symbol, then jerking his sword free and leaping onto the back of the next crab. The two hornets from before worked out what we were doing and aimed for Ulrich. Almost without thinking, I raised my arm and released my weapon. The spinning fan sliced cleanly through the pair of airborne monsters, leaving only the exploded remains. I caught my fan as it came back to me and held it at ready in case I needed to defend Ulrich again.

In truth, it should have been me up there risking my life points. When we planned in my back yard, we had agreed that Ulrich was better at defending and I didn't have to cut too deeply with my weapon to cause serious damage. Before Theo, we had practiced this maneuver together almost every night after supper until we were exhausted or it became too dark to see. Once we were done for the night, we'd either talk or stargaze - or sometimes both. Occasionally we'd just lay side-by-side quietly looking up into the twinkling heavens. Sometimes those were the nights I liked the most...

I snapped my mind back to the battle at hand as a laser whizzed by me, almost striking my arm.

"Watch it Yumi!" Ulrich shouted, jumping to his third crab as the one he had just been on exploded.

"Laser arrow!" Odd yelled, launching another dart, "Yeah! That makes my fourth hornet. How about you guys?"

"Two hornets and a crab," I replied.

"Three crabs," Ulrich said as he plunged his sword into the third. He tugged one-handedly to pull his weapon out and get to safety before the monster exploded, but the sword wouldn't budge.

"Ulrich, get out of there!" Jeremy cried, "The explosion will take away the rest of your life points!"

"I can't get it!" Ulrich shouted, still tugging. The crab's legs buckled in preparation for the explosion, but Ulrich remained on its back.

"Ulrich!" I cried as I jumped up onto the crab's back and pushed him clear of the blast. I had no time to escape, though, and my body felt as if it was being torn apart, muscle by muscle. I was sure that the explosion had drained my remaining life points so I was quite surprised when I landed ungracefully on the ground.

"Forty life points left, Yumi," Jeremy announced grimly, "Odd's at 60 and Ulrich 30."

"Only two monsters left too," Odd remarked, "X.A.N.A.'s going easy on us today."

Ulrich picked himself up from where I had knocked him to the ground and walked to where I was.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Fine," I said between clenched teeth as I waited for the pain to subside.

"I'd help you up, but well.. you know," Ulrich said, shooting me a sheepish grin.

"You can play the gentleman later," Jeremy said, "The factory isn't going to be able to withstand these winds much longer! Plus you still have a crab and a hornet left and you have to get Aelita safely to the tower."

"You sure are demanding," Odd said, aiming for the hornet. He fired two arrows and the second hit the mark, destroying the monster. During this time, I got to my feet and found my fan a few yards away from where I had landed. Ulrich's weapon, however, was nowhere in sight.

"Great, now I really am useless," he muttered. As Odd set up his next shot at the last monster, my mind quickly added up how many shots he had taken and compared it with how many arrows he had at the beginning of this battle.

"Odd, don't!" I half-shouted, "That's your last arrow!"

"What's the verdict, Einstein?" Odd asked, holding off his attack.

"She's right," Jeremy answered, "You'd better let her take this one."

"Aw man..."

With no further prompting, I whipped my fan at the crab and felt immense satisfaction as the monster exploded, leaving a clear path to the tower. Determined not to let us get by that easily, X.A.N.A. opened a rift between us and the tower.

"Think you can bridge it?" I asked Aelita.

"It's too wide, I'm sorry," she replied.

"Yumi, can you use your telekinesis to transport us over?" Odd asked, for once coming up with a good idea that didn't involve him being the "hero."

"I think so," I said uncertainly.

"Ok, me first," Odd said, stepping to the edge of the crevice.

"Stay still," I warned him, afraid of what might happen if he moved and broke my concentration. Placing my fingertips to my temples, I concentrated on Odd's form and pushed it upward with my mind, all the while imagining him being as light as a feather like I did with the slabs of rock I usually moved. Next, I used my mind to push him to the other side. Once his feet touched ground, it was Aelita's turn. Before I could send her over, though, I handed my fan to Ulrich.

"You can use this for now," I told him, turning back to the task at hand. Aelita, too, was transported without a problem and Ulrich was up next.

"What about you?" he asked, facing me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, feigning stupidity.

"How are you getting across?" he asked impatiently.

"I'm not," I stated simply, "Now please stand at the edge so I can send you across."

"Not without you," he argued. So stubborn! I guess I'm going to have to do this the hard way... Seizing control of him with my mind, I used my telekinesis to raise him up and over the ravine. After I nearly lost control twice, he gave up struggling and the rest of the trip went smoothly. I knew he'd be angry with me, but it had to be done. The transfers were taxing and once Ulrich's feet touched ground, I fell to my knees, breathing heavily.

"Good job," Jeremy said, "Now the rest of you get to that tower and fast!" Odd and Aelita didn't hesitate to follow orders, only glancing back once at the lone figure on the other side of the ravine. Ulrich, on the other hand, faced me, his eyes locked on mine. I rose slowly to my feet, never breaking our eye contact. Neither of us moved, though for one of us motion was not an option. It was me. I was immobile, once again. This time, I couldn't even move my head. I could move my eyes, mouth, and breathe, but that was all. My senses remained, though, and tremors passed from the ground to my feet and upward. Mega tank, my memory told me and I tried again to move.

"Behind you!" Ulrich shouted.

"I know, I can't move," I shot back. I could see him trying to unfold my fan, but the weapon wouldn't cooperate.

"Come on!" he yelled at the unruly object, "Open already!"

"It's ok Ulrich, just go," I said, resigning to my fate and trying to sound sure of myself. The shaking stopped and I heard the click and whir as the metal ball opened behind me. I had the great desire to shut my eyes as I waited for the attack, but found myself unable to close them on Ulrich's helpless gaze. The high-pitched whine of the laser charging stopped abruptly and I knew my time left on Lyoko was short.

"Goodbye Ulrich," I said, doing my best to smile at him - and failing miserably. As the laser wall struck me full on from behind, I saw Ulrich flinch and then saw nothing as the force of the blow threw me forward. My back felt like it was on fire, but I forgot that quickly as I saw the ground disappear beneath me and the digital void started to close around me. Why wasn't I devirtualizing? I should be feeling that familiar expanding as I transferred back into the real world, but nothing was happening. My heart fluttered in panic as the fog swirled above me and I turned in the air so I was falling backward. My last sight was Ulrich's silhouette, standing at the edge of the ravine.

Now I'm alone, in the dark - forever. My heart screamed the name in my soul, yet he'd never hear me I'm never coming back.::

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AN: There you go! I hope you guys liked this chapter. There will be no spoiler this time because I'm going to work on the next chapter over vacation and because I've been working on all my homework for the past few days. Please leave a review before you leave! Thanks!


	25. 50,000 Tears

AN: Sorry it took me so long! I had a lot of homework and stuff. I'll try to be better about updating! Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews!This chapter is dedicated to Lessa-13-2004! She's one of my friends here in Iowa and has really encouraged me! Just to clarify something before I let you read, the last chapter was a dream. It was not a real life thing. Some people missed that. Sorry for the confusion! Next time read the author notes cuz they help to explain stuff. Really, they do. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!

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"Yumi, wake up! You have to wake up," Ulrich said, shaking the dark-haired girl's shoulder carefully, yet persistently. The heart monitor was beeping rapidly, bringing a curious doctor and attentive nurse to investigate.

"What's going on here?" the doctor asked gruffly.

"She's having a nightmare and won't wake," Ulrich said distractedly, still shaking Yumi carefully.

"She'll wake eventually," the doctor said dismissively and motioned for the nurse to follow him into the hall.

"Check on them every five minutes or so, but be discreet," he whispered to the nurse before he returned to his rounds.

"Wake up," Ulrich said, crouching down so his face was level with hers, "I'm here like I promised. Now you have to wake up!"

Yumi's eyes snapped open and focused on the dark ones before her.

"Ulrich?" she said, unsure if her mind was playing tricks on her - showing her the face she was to never see again.

"You were having another nightmare," he explained, drawing back and sitting in his chair beside her.

"I was in Lyoko again," Yumi said softly, her eyes downcast.

"Was it the same as last time?" Ulrich prompted gently, his brow furrowed in worry.

"No... this time X.A.N.A. kept freezing me - leaving me helpless and having to watch while he tried to destroy you. And then I... I got trapped in the d-digital void." Yumi shuddered slightly at the memory, made worse by her true previous journey into that abyss. Ulrich reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Everything was my fault... You were hurt so much because of me," Yumi said softly. Tears trickled down her face and landed on the pillow, quickly wetting it.

"I'm sure it wasn't all your fault," Ulrich reasoned, "If things were easy on Lyoko, we'd only ever have to send Odd. Everything's fine now, I promise. You can go back to sleep if you want."

"Please don't let me go back to sleep," she begged, "I can't take another nightmare... I'd rather die than go back into my mind."

"I'll stay up with you then," Ulrich said, "It's almost dawn anyway."

"You should get some sleep," Yumi said, feeling guilty at having kept him up for so long.

"I'll be fine," Ulrich said, turning away her suggestion, "I rested while you were u-unconscious, remember?" He hated how he'd stuttered on so common a word. Ulrich suspected that if he would have been talking about anyone else, he would have had no trouble saying it. Ever so carefully, Ulrich wiped Yumi's cheeks with the backs of his unbandaged fingers. A few tears ran down his fingers and soaked into the bandages; the droplets were cool against his heated skin.

"Thank you," Yumi said quietly, still not meeting Ulrich's eyes. An oppressive silence hung in the room, tempting both of its occupants to break it.

"Do -" "At -" the two spoke together, both trying to start a conversation.

"Do what?" Ulrich asked politely.

"Nothing - you go first," Yumi said quickly.

"I was going to say at least today's Sunday so there's no school," Ulrich replied, "What were you going to say?"

"I um.. I was going to ask if you were getting hungry. I know I am a little," Yumi said, meeting his eyes briefly, then looking back at her sheets.

"A bit," Ulrich admitted, "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything," she answered truthfully, for she was finally feeling the effects of skipping so many meals.

"I'll be right back," Ulrich said, giving her hand a last squeeze before he stood. On impulse, Yumi's hand tightened on Ulrich's as he pulled it away gently. It took a great deal of effort for her to loosen her grip and let his fingers slide past hers. Ulrich smiled inwardly at himself, for he had noticed her reluctance, but he gave no indication to her. As he ducked out the door, Ulrich glanced back. She'll be fine without me, he though, I'll only be gone for a moment. Unbeknownst to him, Yumi's thoughts mimicked his own.

Once Ulrich was out of sight, Yumi's heart started to pound harder. I'll be fine, Yumi repeated mentally to herself. Wide eyes darted around the room, searching for possible threats. Despite her attempts to remain calm at being alone, Yumi felt her carefully constructed control slip and panic creep in. Please come back, don't leave me alone, her heart pleaded silently. Remembering a trick she used to use when she was a child, Yumi closed her eyes and started humming part of a song. At the dance, she had heard a new American one, and this one the one she chose. In her mind, the words joined the notes.

'Now I will tell you what I've done for you,

50 thousand tears I've cried...'

Yumi visibly jumped when a deeper voice joined hers for the last few notes. Her eyes opened to Ulrich relief flooded through her. Though surprised at his speedy return, she continued with him to the next few lines, this time adding words.

'Screaming deceiving and bleeding for you

and you still won't hear me'

"I hear you, Yumi," Ulrich said quietly once they both stopped singing softly.

"I know," Yumi answered with downcast eyes, mentally adding 'now.'

Silence stretched over the two again until Ulrich remembered the reason he had left the room.

"Oh.... uh I got some green tea and rolls," Ulrich said, holding out the tray containing two lidded cups and a plate of white rolls. Yumi accepted one of the cups and Ulrich set the tray down on her bed. As Yumi soon discovered, the bandages would often cause the styrofoam cup to slip down in her hands. The first time she nearly dropped it, Ulrich came to her rescue by putting his hand on the bottom, stopping its slide.

"Thanks," Yumi said, giving him a small smile that, to him, spoke louder than her words.

"Here, try this," Ulrich said, taking the cup from her. Once he had set her cup beside his on the tray, he took her hand in both of his and carefully unwrapped the bandages on her palms. When he got closer to her skin, he slowed almost to a stop, taking care not to irritate the wounds. After finishing one hand, he moved on to her right. This one was slightly more difficult because of her IV. He accidentally bumped the needle, bringing a small, sharp gasp from Yumi. Ulrich mumbled an apology and maneuvered his hands so he would not cause her more pain. The process took longer than it should have - partly because Ulrich's bandaged hands had stiffened slightly throughout the night. When the last of Yumi's bandages were removed from her palms, Ulrich put the wrap and gauze on the stand beside her bed.

"Better?" he asked as she slowly clenched her hand, stretching and testing the partly healed over scrapes.

"Yes, thank you," Yumi said, meeting his eyes briefly, then looking back at her hands.

"What happened?" Ulrich asked gently, hoping to get a better answer from her this time.

"I um...," Yumi mumbled, her mind racing as she debated with herself What could she say? Ulrich had been so good to her and deserved a better answer than 'I can't.' But if she told him the truth, Theo... well he had told her the consequences. Best to stick with a half-truth, she decided.

"I-I fell... that's all," Yumi said quickly.

"Oh...," was all Ulrich said in reply. His mind disagreed with her story, but he didn't press her. Like before, he figured she would tell him the truth when she was ready.

Now that her hands were free, Yumi was able to pick up her cup without it sliding. She wrapped both hands around the warm styrofoam and brought the cup up to her lips. That's a far as it got, though, as she noticed a problem. Laying on her side as she was, made drinking an interesting activity. Setting her tea back on the tray, Yumi placed her hands in front of her and pushed on the bed, trying to lift herself up. After two excruciating inches, she gave up and her body came to rest on the bed again. Had Yumi been her usual self, propping her body up would have been easy. Apparently, the events of the previous night had been too much for her poorly fueled muscles and the blow to her back didn't do a lot to help either. Waves of frustration and helplessness washed over Yumi, and her dry throat started to close up as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

After watching Yumi's attempt to prop herself up, Ulrich decided to give it a try. Placing his cup on the tray, Ulrich stood and walked over to his bed. Once he pulled the pillows off his bed, Ulrich moved to the couch and selected the largest pillows. Ok, now I've got stuff to prop her up with... so how do I do it, Ulrich thought. While his mind was in motion, his body was too and he ended up beside Yumi's bed. Still trying to plan, Ulrich laid the pillows on Yumi's bed and moved the tray to the chair he had occupied moments ago. Now what, he thought, I need to prop her up, but I don't want to hurt her. It didn't help that Yumi was watching him steadily, her eyes questioning him. It was a look he had to answer.

"I'm... um... going to try to lift you up and put the pillows under you," Ulrich explained, his mind still racing, trying to figure out just how he was to do it. Still unsure of himself, Ulrich pulled the pillows up closer to her head and stood so he was in front of her shoulders. He reached his arms out once as if he was going to try to lift her, but then withdrew them.

"What's wrong?" Yumi asked quietly.

"I don't want to hurt you," Ulrich said, "I'm afraid that when I lift you, I'll push against your bruises."

"Don't worry, I trust you," Yumi said, smiling reassuringly at him. Ulrich nodded his head slightly at her and shifted himself a little closer.

His mind finally settling on the best plan, Ulrich bent down until he was only a foot away from Yumi. Hesitantly, then with more confidence, Ulrich took Yumi's hands in his and brought them slowly around behind his neck. Getting the idea, Yumi tightened her arms and Ulrich let go of her hands. Now comes the hard part, Ulrich thought. Ever so carefully, Ulrich slid his right arm under her underarm, and looped his left around her waist, taking care not to touch the bruising on the side closest to him.

"Ready?" he asked her softly. Ulrich received a small nod in reply.

Slowly, Ulrich lifted her upward while she tightened her arms around his neck, trying to support some of her weight. Though Ulrich was being careful, his left arm still brushed against her bruise, sending ribbons of pain lacing through her back. That, along with the pain which came from having the sore muscles across her back being moved, was enough to bring tears to Yumi's eyes. They didn't make it farther, though, as Yumi did her best to hold them off. The pain escalated when Ulrich let go of her with his right arm, which had been under her underarm supporting her, and used it to position the pillows. A scream threatened to issue from her throat, but Yumi bit her lip instead, fighting it back. In an attempt to speed the process, Yumi tightened her arms even more around Ulrich, lifting herself a few more inches. Her forehead now rested against his neck and her eyes against his collarbone and she could feel each beat of his heart. His, like hers, was racing. Both, though, had different reasons for this. Yumi's rapid heartbeat, which could both be heard and seen on the monitor, was the result of pain. Ulrich's, on the other hand, was caused partly by the strain he was putting on his body, but was mostly from the closeness of Yumi.

"Almost done," Ulrich announced, giving the pillows one last adjustment. Slowly, Ulrich lowered himself closer to the bed, which also lowered Yumi. Her upper body dented the pillows that had been so carefully arranged to support her. When he was sure Yumi had settled on the pillows correctly, Ulrich slowly unlooped his arms from her. Yumi, though, kept hers around his neck and, now that the ordeal was over, wept. Feeling the dampness against his collarbone, Ulrich grew alarmed.

"Are you ok? Did I hurt you?" he asked anxiously. Ulrich would receive no answer, though, as Yumi continued to cry quietly against him. Hesitantly, carefully, he wrapped his right arm around the tops of her shoulders, where there was no bruising. His left hand hovered over her head, as if Ulrich was unsure of himself, then settled down gently on the back of her head. After a few moments, his fingers gained a life of their own and began stroking her hair lightly. When the tube from Yumi's IV swung down to the floor, Ulrich started, then returned his attention to the girl. Though his back was starting to ache from being bent over so long, Ulrich didn't pull away. Instead, he tilted his head slowly until his left cheek rested against her hair.

"I love you, Yumi," Ulrich whispered softly into her hair. Yumi would not hear him, though, for his voice was lost in her sobs. But, for Ulrich, time stood still.

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AN: Ok, before you all kill me, I added the song part on purpose! It isn't mine, it belongs to Evanescence ( ----- that's my disclaimer). I put those lines in as a HUGE thank you to the band. I've been listening to their music as I write and they've helped a lot with the mood. I tried to insert the lines as non-tackily as I could. Now, for your spoiler!

' "Wonderful," she sighed. Her eyes locked on Ulrich's and she gave him a warm, true smile of gratitude.'

I know, the spoiler sucks, but I can't give everything away now, can I?


	26. Unexpected Visitor

AN: Ack! Sorry for the delay! I wasn't able to get to a computer cuz I was grounded, big time! I have the next chapter handwritten and ready for typing, but I'm not sure when I'll be let on the computer again, so please bear with me. In response to a suggestion, I will be having more journal entries later in the story. At the moment, both of the journals are in the characters' respective rooms so they can't really be writing in them when they're at the hospital now can they? Our characters will be going back to school soon, don't worry! I wouldn't let them miss out on their education! In response to a question, yes the IV did come off Yumi. I hate the things and thought she would too so I let it come off. Many thanks to all you reviewers! This chapter is dedicated to Drafonis! Thank you for your detailed review telling me what you did and didn't like so far. That sort of stuff is really helpful! And now, onto the chapter! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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It was in this way that the nurse found them. Skilled eyes scanned the pair and she immediately saw the IV dangling freely - it was no longer attached to the patient. Her nursing instincts kicked in and she started to walk out of the doorway and into the room, then stopped. It's not urgent, she told herself, the patient - who was she again? Oh yes, Yumi Ishiyama - would be fine without it for the moment. With that thought, the nurse moved quietly back into the hallway, leaving the two to each other.

"I'm sorry," Ulrich said quietly once Yumi's sobs began to slow.

"I should be the one apologizing," Yumi argued, "I interrupted your fun last night at the dance. Then, when you were helping me, you hurt your hands. Later you stayed up most of the night because I was afraid to go to sleep. Now, when you tried to help me sit up some, the thanks you get is tears. I'm sorry I've been such a horrible person." Ridden by guilt, Yumi pulled away from Ulrich and let the pillows take her full weight. Ulrich, in turn, straightened up to stretch his back, then crouched down so his face was level with hers and his forearms rested on the bed.

"You are not a horrible person," he told her slowly, as if she was hard of hearing, "Last night I chose you. I chose to go after you and help you and I chose to stay up and watch over you while you were sleeping. None of this is your fault. None of it." The intensity of Ulrich's eyes and words made Yumi take a mental step back and tears welled up in her eyes again. Unsure of how to respond, Yumi broke the hold his gaze had on her and instead looked down at the pillows that now supported her.

Ulrich, too, looked away and his eyes skimmed the room and fell on the reason for the move. Standing up, he stretched his arms above his head and winced at the ache they had developed. Lifting the branch, then Yumi, must have been too much, Ulrich thought as he lowered his arms. The brown-haired boy picked up the tray and set it back on the bed beside Yumi and took the now vacant place on the chair. As he tried to scoot the chair closer to Yumi's bed, the edge of the bandages on Ulrich's right palm caught on the gap where the armrest and its support met. When he stretched his hand to get his cup, the gauzy bandage wedged in tighter and stopped him short. Ulrich's tugging caught Yumi's eye and she watched him as he tried to free himself.

"Do you need some help?" Yumi asked, a hint of laughter in her voice. The sound was welcome to Ulrich's ears and though he was frustrated at being stuck, he smiled in response.

"I've got it," he said. With his free hand, he gripped the stuck bandage and tried to wiggle it out. When he did pull it loose, the end looked like it had been mangled. Yumi tried to hide a laugh behind her hand, but failed miserably. Ulrich heard her and turned his attention from the ripped and distended gauze bandage to Yumi. The situation wasn't very humorous to him, for pulling on the bandage had made his hand ache, but Yumi's laughter was contagious and he couldn't help but join her.

"I'll fix it," Yumi said, smiling at him once their laughter had died down. Obediently, Ulrich held out his right hand to her. Yumi's fingers deftly folded the bandage over ad tucked it into an already tightly wrapped section on the back of his hand.

"Thank you," Ulrich said, "Have you ever thought of being a nurse?"

"A nurse? I seem to get hurt enough without being around all of the sharp objects around here," Yumi joked, then she became more serious, "Besides, if I did, who'd help you guys in Lyoko?"

"By then Jeremy will have Aelita materialized and Lyoko shut down, right?" Ulrich said, sounding more sure of himself than he actually was. Yumi nodded in agreement hesitantly, then stronger when she remembered Jeremy's dedication to the pink-haired girl.

"Speaking of Jeremy, how'd he do at the dance last night?" Yumi asked.

"I don't know," Ulrich answered, "I didn't see him after we split up before the dance until we all came here."

"Jeremy and Odd cam?" Yumi said, curiosity coloring her voice.

"Yeah... when we got here the doctors called your parents while I called the guys... Sam wanted to come too but Odd told her to stay and enjoy the rest of the dance."

They all really do care, Yumi thought in awe. I guess I'm no longer just one of the team - I'm one of their friends.

"Your parents are in the room next door," Ulrich continued. Yumi nodded, feeling guilty that she had ruined so many peoples' nights. Trying to shake the sadness that threatened to overtake her, Yumi reached out her arm and took her cup from the tray. She took a tentative sip and gave a small smile as the warm, familiar liquid soothed her dry throat.

"Wonderful," she sighed. Her eyes locked on Ulrich's and she gave him a warm, true smile of gratitude. Ulrich returned the smile with one of his own and he, too, picked up his cup. Careful to grip it with mostly his fingertips so it wouldn't slide, he took a sip. Green tea wasn't one of his favorites, but he knew it was one of Yumi's. Besides, they both could benefit from its soothing abilities. As they started on the rolls, a clock chimed six times. In a matter of moments, the tray and cups were empty. Standing up, Ulrich put the empty cups on the tray and picked it up.

"I'll be right back," Ulrich said, "Do you want more tea? I can get more while I take this back."

"Yes, please," Yumi said politely. She wished she could make this all up to him, but she didn't know how - yet. This time when Ulrich left the room, Yumi was able to stay calm. Now that her mind accepted what her heart already knew - Ulrich would always come back to her - she was able to control herself. For the first time, Yumi looked around at the room. Ulrich's bed was parallel to hers with a chair on the side closest to her and a window on the far side. On the chair sat what looked to be Ulrich's jacket, over shirt, and cell phone. Exactly between the two beds sat a stand that held a box of tissues and a pile of black cloth. Brow furrowed in concentration, Yumi tried to figure out what it was. Suddenly it dawned on her - those were her clothes! They didn't look like the ones she had worn to the dance, though, so she could only assume her parents had brought the outfit with them, knowing she would want to change before she went home. But what was the object on top? It had a dark red hue. My phone! The nurse must have found it in my pocket and brought it up, Yumi thought. Her eyes continued to scan the room and saw a small couch whose back rested on the wall directly parallel to the one her headboard rested against. In the aisle between her bed and Ulrich's, another chair stood, empty now that Ulrich was gone. She couldn't see what was behind her, but she could only assume it was the heart monitor, which she was beginning to hate, and the stand that held her IV. The door was also beyond her sight, but she could only guess it was along the same wall as the couch, yet still behind her.

Yumi's observation ended there, though, as footsteps announced another person's presence.

"Hello Yumi," an unmistakable voice said cooly. Her heart clenched in fear and she knew she couldn't get away in her condition.

"Hello Theo," she replied, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"You've managed to get yourself into quite a fix," Theo observed, walking around the bed to face her, "but don't worry, I'm here to get you out."

"The doctors said I have to stay for a few days," Yumi said, stretching the truth slightly.

"I know what's best for you," Theo cooed, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to lose my temper with you before, I just couldn't control myself. I care about you, you know that, right? I love you and only want to see you happy. Will you please forgive me?" Theo looked at her pleadingly and Yumi felt sorry for him. He did apologize, she thought. Her mind argued that it was only a trick, but her heart was trusting.

"I forgive you," Yumi said hesitantly, not meeting his eyes.

"Great!" Theo said enthusiastically, "Now let's get you out of here and I'll take you out to dinner later to make it up to you!"

"I have to stay here," Yumi repeated slowly, "I might get to leave in a few days."

"A few days is too long," Theo complained. After he plopped himself in Ulrich's chair, Theo looked around the room. "A room all by yourself," he commented, "There must not be many people if they're letting you stay in a double room alone."

"I'm not alone, Ulrich's staying with me." She regretted those words as soon as they were out of her mouth, for she remembered Theo's order to stay away from him.

"Ulrich? I thought we discussed him last night," Theo said coolly, settling himself further into the chair.

"We didn't 'discuss' him, you told me not to be around him. I didn't have any say in it," Yumi reminded him.

"You told her _what_?" another voice said incredulously. Yumi shut her eyes and told herself this wasn't happening... the voice she heard couldn't b e Ulrich's, not now, please not now.

"I'm taking care of her now, Ulrich," Theo said, not bothering to look at the other boy. Had he, Theo would have seen the look of pure hatred that flashed across Ulrich's features.

"Taking care of her?" The disdain was clear in Ulrich's voice, "Where were you last night when she was hurt?" Mentally he added, where are you when X.A.N.A. attacks? Do you protect her then?

"I didn't know she had been hurt or I would have been there as fast as I could," Theo said, gazing at Yumi, then he glared at Ulrich. "How do I know you weren't the reason she was hurt? How _did_ you know she was hurt and where to find her?"

"I saw her leave the dance after _you_ upset her and after I talked to you, I went out looking for her. I called her cell phone after I had checked her usual spots, and I heard her phone ring, which is how I found her," Ulrich said curtly.

"Please stop arguing," Yumi pleaded, distressed at seeing the two go after each other verbally. She was afraid that if this went on for much longer, it might escalate into a brawl.

"He has no right to tell you what you can and can't do," Ulrich said gently to her, coming around to the other side of her bed so she could see him.

"I just want to keep you safe," Theo said earnestly, standing up so he was beside Ulrich. Yumi looked back and forth between the two, wishing she didn't have to make this decision. If I agree with Ulrich, Theo will be mad. If I agree with Theo, Ulrich will be hurt and will probably never trust me again. Would he tell Odd and Jeremy? What if they hate me too? What if they need me in Lyoko, would they still call me for help?

"I'm sorry, Theo," Yumi began. Already, Theo's face was hardening in anger. "I can make my own decisions," Yumi said, "Ulrich is my friend and I won't abandon him."

"So be it," was Theo's terse reply. Turning on his heel, he brushed past Ulrich forcefully and walked out the door.

Oh God, what have I done now, Yumi thought fearfully.

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AN: Here's your spoiler!!!

'Her legs still felt weak and her back was aching, but the shreds of her dignity would not admit she needed help.'

Not much of a spoiler, but the next chapter is mainly a transition. You'll see... Anyway, please leave a review before you go! Thanks!


	27. Discharged

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AN: You sure are lucky readers! Another chapter in so short of time... amazing! I had free time today so I thought I'd type up some of my handwritten stuff. I have a few things I'd like to address before I let you go onto the next chapter, though. Some of you have been requesting fluff. If it happens, it happens. I'm not going to make it all fluffy-goodness if it doesn't fit in... This story has a few darker portions and all fluff doesn't fit into that, but I will try to add more of the tender scenes, ok? A good compromise? Odd and Jeremy will be coming back a bit more in chapter 29, I think. Well, enough of my babble, on with the chapter! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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"Alright, Miss Ishiyama, your release has been approved," the female doctor said, "You, too, Ulrich. Both of you take it easy today and you can go back to school on Tuesday." Then she smiled at them kindly and said, "I hope you two won't take it the wrong way if I say I don't want to see you in the emergency room for a very long time." Ulrich chuckled in response and Yumi smiled.

"Thank you so much for all you've done for Ulrich and my daughter," Yumi's mom said gratefully.

"You're quite welcome, Mrs. Ishiyama," the doctor replied, "It has been a pleasure having them here. Goodbye and have a good afternoon!" Her goodbyes were echoed by Ulrich, Yumi, and Yumi's parents.

"Mom, Ulrich and I would like to change before we go," Yumi said, sitting up carefully on her bed.

"Ok, dear, do you need help?"

"No, I can do it." Sliding slowly off the bed, Yumi used the nearby chair to help support herself. Her legs still felt weak and her back was aching, but the shreds of her dignity would not admit she needed help. Cautiously, she picked up her right foot slightly and set it down firmly in front of her. Doing the same with her left foot, she slowly moved forward, leaning heavily on the chair. Five slow steps later, she reached one of her destinations: the stand holding her clothes and cell phone. Gathering the items in her left arm, Yumi steeled herself for an unaided trip to the bathroom across the hall. But first, she had to go around her bed. Now that she was starting to get the hang of supporting herself by using other objects, she moved faster and surer. Yumi stopped beside the alongside the bed at the point closest to the door. Turning her head, she looked over her left shoulder at her parents sitting side-by-side on the small couch, talking amongst themselves. Ulrich was carrying his clothes in his newly bandaged hands and was walking her direction. Not wanting to be in his way, Yumi took a tentative step forward as she released the bed. Her body was not prepared to take on its full weight so quickly and her knees crumpled. Before she could fall, Ulrich was beside her with his left arm carefully around her waist to support her.

"Put your arm over my shoulders so I can help you get to the hall," Ulrich said quietly so only Yumi could hear. She complied and slowly the two made their way out into the hall. When they arrived at the bathroom door, they stopped.

"I'll take it from here," Yumi said, giving him a smile of gratitude, then she withdrew her arm from his shoulders. Reaching out her right arm, Yumi placed her hand on the doorknob to support and steady herself. Ulrich removed his arm from her waist slowly, ready to assist her again if she started to fall. Yumi remained upright, though she swayed slightly. Opening the door carefully, Yumi entered the restroom and Ulrich went a few steps over to the men's bathroom and did the same.

Five minutes later, Ulrich emerged from the men's restroom. His bandaged hands had caused a few problems, but he had overcome them. Yumi, however, was having more difficulties. The teen sat on the floor of the restroom with only her black jeans on, trying to figure out how to get her shirt on. Every time she stretched her arms to put the turtleneck on, the muscles on her back would be strained and the pain would increase to the point where she'd have to stop. Finally, she came up with a solution. Bunching the shirt up into a ball, she threw it forcefully at the door and listened to the satisfying 'thud' sound it created. Though throwing the shirt didn't help, releasing some of her anger had felt good. Now Yumi slid across the floor on her butt to the black lump of cloth. This time, she chose a different approach. Instead of trying to put her arms through first, she pulled the shirt over her head, then put her arms in the sleeves. Success! Yumi slid back over to the clothes she had been wearing before and picked up her shoes. After slipping them on and tying them, she picked up her cell phone and put it in her pocket. Then she folded the hospital clothes and held them in her left arm. Using the sink as a support, Yumi stood and made her way to the door. Opening the door, Yumi left the bathroom, then leaned her right side against it once it was closed.

"Ready?" Ulrich asked, looking at her He was leaning against the wall between the two restrooms with his hands in his pockets.

Yumi nodded and Ulrich took his place beside her again and, like before, she leaned on him and he helped support her.

"I wonder what Odd and Jeremy are doing right now," Yumi said, trying to start a conversation.

"Today's Monday so they're probably at the school assembly," Ulrich answered.

"Assembly? What for?"

"I don't know... I think it's some sort of field trip, though."

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AN: I know, I know... that chapter didn't have all that much content... it was mainly a transition chapter so I could get Ulrich and Yumi out of the hospital. The next chapter should be a lot better! Here's your spoiler!

'It was starting again. My father called the principal and told him I had to come home, now. The principal said it was a family emergency and he offered to have Jim drive me home, but I refused. There wasn't an emergency - there never was. More than anything, I wish I wouldn't have to go back to that... that place. I can't call it home.'

There you go! I hope you like it! Chapter 28 will be dealing with some background information and such, but it won't be boring. Please leave a review on your way out! Thanks!


	28. Theo's Story

AN: Lucky readers! You get another chapter! This update come compliments of a very good friend of mine! I'm grounded (again) and she was kind enough to type AND post this chapter for you. She has my unending thanks and I'm sure she has yours too. Now, to address the reviews... Thank you for your generous reviews! They are part of what keeps me writing this fic, even when I get discouraged and want to quit. Also, thank you for the editing reviews! KotokoPlum, steeled is the word I wanted, not steered. FF-Rules, I appreciate your suggestions and did use the second one though I did not see the problem with my wording that you mentioned as the first problem. Thank you both for your editing help!!! I don't always catch these sort of things when I'm typing. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get my wonderful friend to post another chapter for me (she, too is motivated by reviews, hint hint. She loves the attention!) but I'm hoping it will be soon. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

Now an announcement: Code Lyoko has been taken off of the daily line-up for Miguzi. It has not completely left, though. They are still playing it on Sunday mornings at 8 am central time. Also, there is a chance they will play four episodes on a Sunday afternoon, though I'm not sure which. Just thought you'd like to know, now onto the story!

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It was starting again. My dad called the principal and told him I had to come home, now. The principal said it was a family emergency and he offered to have Jim drive me home, but I refused. There wasn't an emergency - there never was. More than anything, I wish I wouldn't have to go back to that.... that place. I can't call it home.

As soon as I walked in the broken screen door, an arm shot out and wrapped itself tightly around my shoulders.

"Took ya long enough," my father said angrily, his words slurred together. The house reeked. It was bathed in the foul odors of sweat, animal feces, alcohol, and cigarette smoke. A dirty, mangy cat threaded its way around my legs, nearly tripping me up. She tried to do the same to my father, but he kicked her out of the way forcefully. "Stupid cat," he mumbled. His arm still wrapped tightly around my shoulders, my father steered me around the piles of dirty clothes and beer cans, all the while making our way to the kitchen.

Compared to the living room, the kitchen was immaculate. This alone was my mother's domain and she strove to keep it clean. Even now as she stood at the sink, washing dishes, she took great care to leave them spotless. She was a tiny woman compared to my father and tried always to please him. Today, she had her mousy brown, shoulder-length hair loose. She looks just like my Yumi.

"Theo's here to spend the day with his old man," my father said, unwrapping his arm from me and patting me roughly on the back.

"Shouldn't he be in school?" my mother asked quietly, turning to face us. Exchanging her dishrag for a towel, she wiped off her slender hands and began drying the plates.

"He should be where I say he should be and I say it's here!" my father replied angrily.

"But I've, I mean we've, worked so hard to put him through school, should he be getting his education?" she countered softly.

"I told you he's here for today! Are you questioning my authority?" my father bellowed, gripping the first thing his hand came to, which happened to be my shoulder. Even drunk, he was fairly strong, and it took me a good deal of effort to keep from flinching.

"No... never," she said quickly, then she noticed the hold he had on my left shoulder and her eyes widened in alarm. "Marc, you're hurting him!"

"I'll hurt him if I want to," he growled, then let go of me, pushing me roughly to the right. My side hit the table and I felt a stab of pain. My right side hurt, but my anger was greater. Had he been anyone else, he would be out cold now. I had no time to think on this, though, as my mother leapt forward to steady me, dropping the plate she had been drying. While I straightened myself, the sound of shattering porcelain reached my ears. As more of the plate hit the floor and broke, pieces that had already broken up before exploded upward, flying in various directions. Shards of porcelain struck my blue jeans, but failed to get through. My mother, though, was not as fortunate. Sharp sections nicked at her calves, which were not protected by the knee-length, faded blue jean skirt she wore today. Blood beaded up on the lacerations and ran down her legs, a few drops dripping onto the white tiled floor.

"Look what you've done now!" my father screamed at her, "You worthless woman! You don't even deserve to live!" His heavy boots crunched on the porcelain as he made his way swiftly to her. My mother drew back from him until she was trapped with her back against the white marble-like countertop. "Don't you try to get away," he snarled menacingly, "You've been bad and you deserve your punishment." Before she could react, he drew back his hand and slapped her right cheek. The sound of his hand meeting her flesh reminded me of another instance similar to this one. I was right, then - Yumi was supposed to be punished for staying with Ulrich the night before the dance. I didn't have to be sorry before. Well, I was a little extreme in punching her... a slap would have been better and I bet she'd remember that better.

"Get out of my sight," my father hissed at my mother, breaking me away from my thoughts, "You, too, boy. You both have disappointed me greatly and I don't want to see you two for the rest of the day."

Silently, my mother obeyed his wishes and picked her way across the shard covered floor.

"I'm going back to school," I said slowly, to be sure he understood, "I'll come home this weekend to see you. Goodbye." I turned on my heel and strided confidently out of the house the way I came. Just as I let the broken screen door slam behind me, a glass beer bottle exploded against it from inside the house. The force of the blow pushed the door slightly open, then it slammed again as it closed. It seems he was able to understand me and my disobedience. Too bad. I'm a man and I won't take orders from anyone.

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AN: How did you like that chapter? It was mostly a bit of background into Theo's home life to help explain why he does the things he does. Here's your spoiler!

' "Wow, a whole week away from school... it's going to be great!" Odd said excitedly.'

There you go! It's not too exciting, but the next chapter is an information/transition chapter. Thanks for your continued support and please submit a review before you leave! Thanks!


	29. The Assembly

AN: First of all, I know a lot of you are unhappy about how I've portrayed Theo. I could just say 'tough luck, it's my story and I'll write it how I want,' but I'm not going to do that. Well, at least not completely. Some of you are a bit worried/upset that Theo is losing his "evilness." He's not. I'm just trying to show you the conditions that make him who he is. There is a reason for everything. A wise writer told me that once (well, actually he told me that a million times, but once sounds better!). You may not agree with the way I've taken Theo, but his character will develop more later on and I think you will be satisfied by it. For now, please leave all flames elsewhere as they tend to discourage me.

Now for something a bit different, I would like to both thank and welcome Empathize and all of my other new readers. If you've been with me almost the whole way, and even greater thanks goes out to you! You have no idea how much your contribution has helped me become a better writer and has fueled my love of writing. When I can get feedback, it's easier to write and is more enjoyable. FF-Rules, I would like to apologize to you. The correction I thought you were mention was not the one you had in mind. I was looking at the dialogue, not the description. The error has been noted and corrected. Thank you for finding my stupidity when it seems I cannot. My friend appreciates your thanks and thanks you for your thanks. Sounds like a weird sentence, doesn't it?

Oh yeah, I'm ungrounded! That means more updates! Well, I'll make you wait no longer! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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"How much longer do we have to sit here?" Odd complained, slouching in his chair.

"Who knows," Jeremy said absentmindedly, the keys of his laptops clicking quietly as he typed. With a sigh, Odd went back to half-listening to the principal drone on about the numerous rewards of attending Kadics.

"And now, for the first time in the history of Kadics, I am proud to announce the establishment of the week long Camp HOPE." This elicited a cheer from the entire assembly, for a week away from the too familiar halls of Kadics was a rare treat.

"Camp HOPE was designed by our very own teachers, along with a board of advanced educators, to challenge you mentally and physically while stimulating you socially and creatively," the principal continued, attempting to speak over the tumult, "Because of this, we named the camp HOPE as an acronym for Hastening Onward to Personal Excellence. We will be leaving Monday morning - this gives you one week to prepare. Lists of items you will need to bring will be available in the office and will be distributed as you leave. Thank you."

"Wow, a whole week away from school... it's going to be great!" Odd said excitedly, "We should call Ulrich and Yumi so they can start getting ready too!"

"You call them, I have to go talk to Aelita," Jeremy said absentmindedly, "We have to figure out how to take care of X.A.N.A. attacks while we're gone."

"Oh yeah," Odd said, slightly subdued, "I hadn't thought about that. You plan with Aelita and I'll see what Ulrich and Yumi think." At Jeremy's nod, the two blond boys separated, both grabbing information sheets on their way out.

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AN: I know, I know, it was a very short chapter! It was mainly a transition and was used to introduce the camp. No spoiler this time. Apparently some reviewers think my spoilers ruin the story. Maybe there'll be one next time and those reviewers can just skip over them! Until next time! Please review before you go. Thanks!


	30. Transition

AN: Well, I typed up another chapter today. You have Lessa-13-2004 to thank for this one! She needed someone to show her how to upload second chapters so this is how I'm showing her. Since the majority of the people who have reviewed lately seem to think the spoilers are useless, I will no longer include them. If you would still like a spoiler, either review and tell me so or email me and I'll send you one. If majority wins this time, spoilers will stay. All of you who don't like them will just have to not read them. Tough luck.

Ok, this is just a transition chapter. A better one will be coming later, promise. It'll be longer and better, promise! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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"You've got to be kidding," Yumi said into her cell phone, surprise tingeing her voice, "There's no way Sissi's father would let us out of school for that long."

"I know. It's hard to believe, isn't it?" Odd answered, "I grabbed some information sheets for you and Ulrich while I was at the assembly so I'll stop by to drop them off after supper, ok? Oh yeah, the principal said he wants to talk to see you first thing tomorrow morning - Ulrich too. He didn't say why, though."

"Ok, thanks, Odd," Yumi said, her mind spinning as she tried to think of why the principal wanted to talk to both her and Ulrich. Maybe it has something to do with Saturday night after the dance, Yumi thought.

"Alright then," Odd said, "It's good to hear you guys are feeling better. I'll see you tonight, and don't forget we have a meeting tomorrow after school for our band. Bye!"

"Bye, Odd," Yumi managed to say before the easily excited boy hung up on her.

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AN: Sorry about the length. It'll be better later, promise! Please review before you go, thanks!


	31. March 5 Recap, Yumi

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AN: I don't have much to say this time, just thanks for the review and I'll try to get my next chapter up as soon as possible. Oh yeah, just in case you couldn't tell, this is a diary entry of Yumi's. As always, read, review, and enjoy.

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Monday, March 5

What a way to start the week! First my boyfriend hurts me, then at the dance he forbids me to talk to my best friend. After all that, a tree branch falls on me and I wake up in the hospital with Ulrich. Now the principal wants to talk to me and he's probably going to -yell at me for not being in school today and Ulrich will be in trouble too. I think I should probably go back and start at the beginning.

---Saturday morning---

Imagine my deligh- I mean surprise when I woke up in Ulrich's arms. Then, when he kissed me... I don't know how to describe the feeling... I guess it's kind of like when we were in the tower with Aelita and stepped off the platform to be transported to another region. As soon as my feet left the platform and I started falling, my heart raced and, though I tried to look calm on the outside, inside a whirlwind of emotions touched me briefly, then settled on exhilaration. For the remainder of the kiss, I floated, gently settling back down to Earth as I broke off the kiss.

I don't know what made me want to kiss him... Well, I do, but I know I shouldn't be feeling this feeling...

After Odd saw us kissing and Ulrich and I separated, I checked my cell phone and found a text message from Theo. "Meet me in the park - alone." It felt like my heart had stopped... I was afraid he'd be angry, though; he had every right to be. I wasn't worried about him breaking up with me, in fact I wish he had. I just had this bad feeling about meeting him there. I should have listened to it.

When I got to the park, the first thing Theo did was insult and yell at me. That I could take, but not what came next. He hit me. Then he grabbed onto my arm. I would have fought back, but I was so surprised by what had happened that I couldn't defend myself.

(AN: This is a bit of a flashback, but she's still recording it in her diary.)

Theo had seemed so nice in the beginning.. Sure, he liked Sissi, but he still wasn't all that bad... I guess that's why I chose him when I wanted someone who'd make Ulrich jealous. That and he looked a bit like Ulrich. His hairstyle and clothes are different, but their faces are similar. And, if you look closely, you can see they both have the same distant, almost sad, look in their eyes. This is what drew me to Ulrich in the beginning.

The first time I saw Ulrich was when I made my first trip to the park after moving here. If the wind hadn't tousled his hair as I walked up, I doubt I would have seen him at all, for he was sitting motionlessly on the far side of a wooden bench, staring at the fountain. Each of the eight stone paths converged at the circular area around the fountain, and, just behind each intersection of paths, sat a wooden bench. The brown-haired boy sat on the second bench to my left and I was given only a profile shot of him. His head was tilted down and eyes closed; it was almost as if he was asleep. With his hands in his pockets and shoulders slumped, he was drawn into himself. Or at least, that's how it seemed. I broke the hold he had on me and continued my trip to the fountain. Stopping at its raised rim, I admired its beauty. Three tiers overflowed with crystalline water, constantly replaced by the jets of water shooting into the air from the top tier. I laid my hands on the stone rim and a pleasant coolness seeped into my hands. I'm not exactly sure what happened next. I heard someone yell "Watch out!" but the warning came too late. Something - or someone - hit me in the small of my back, sending me face forward into the water. Compared to the warm air I had just left, the water was icy. My legs hung over the rim and my hands floundered in the water as I sought the bottom so I could push my head above water. I need not have bothered, though, for a strong arm wrapped itself around my waist and pulled me back to my feet. My wide eyes recognized the brown-haired boy and my face heated when I realized our closeness and felt his arm still around my waist. My face heated even more when I noticed how my soaked clothes clung to my body. I barely heard him when he asked me if I was ok. I wasn't ok; I was embarrassed! Then a blond boy dressed in purple walked up to us with a small dog tucked under his arm and a sheepish grin on his face. He explained that the dog had gotten loose and knocked me over accidentally in his excitement. After that, the introductions began and the rest is history.

Now, every time I look in Ulrich's eyes, I can still see the hidden sadness they hold. It hurts to see him hold this suffering inside, and I feel the urge to help him and hold him until all the pain is gone.

When we first met Theo, pain was fresh in his eyes. He tried to hide it with smiles, jokes, and confidence, but I saw past it. But, instead of liking him like I do Ulrich, I almost pity Theo. I feel obligated to be there for him and help him, but nothing more - I think.

(AN: End flashback)

Ok, back to what I was talking about before... After I didn't fight back, Theo threatened my friends and I. He said that if I fought back or told anyone, he'd hurt them and kill me. I wasn't afraid for my own life; I've been in danger so much because of X.A.N.A. that it doesn't really matter anymore. Rather, I was afraid of what Theo could - and would - do to them if I disobeyed. He was going to punish me further, but he heard another couple coming down our path and he left me. I guess I was in shock for a while afterwards.. Everything I did felt mechanical.

On the walk to the dance, it was like my mind unfroze. I started thinking of ways to see Ulrich and get away from Theo. Then I came up with a plan to tell Theo that I promised Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremy each a dance. I never did find Ulrich. He was the one I wanted to dance with the most.

Then, when I went back to Theo after dancing with Odd, Theo told me I was supposed to stay away from Ulrich. Jealousy. It'll probably be the thing that kills me..

Anyway, after I left the dance, I remember running, then pain, then nothing until I woke up in the hospital. I have never felt so helpless. When I awoke, Ulrich filled me in on the stuff I had missed. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be able to take it in stride. But, most of all, I wanted to go back to a time before all this had happened. I wanted to be Yumi, a single member of the Lyoko gang. For a while, I was able to forget about Theo and all the bad things that had happened. Then Theo came back while Ulrich was gone. He said he was sorry for what had happened before and promised to make it up to me. I felt sorry for him... What if it was just a one-time thing? I was ready to trust him again when Ulrich walked in and overheard Theo telling me not to be around Ulrich. Then things went downhill, and I had to make a choice. Even though Theo's my boyfriend, I knew I shouldn't let him rule my life so I sided with Ulrich. After that, the rest is a blur. My mom's calling me now so I have to go eat supper. She's been watching me really close now. Maybe I'll write more later.

Yumi snapped the blue-green diary shut and tucked it in her bookbag before she slowly made her way downstairs. In another room a few blocks away, another blue-green notebook opened and another life unfolded.

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AN: I haven't started the next chapter yet so there's no spoiler, sorry. It will be a journal entry from Ulrich, though. Please review before you leave, thanks! 


	32. March 5 Recap, Ulrich

AN: Oh my... QuickEdit has changed, hasn't it? Well, here's the next chapter for you! I didn't see any pressing questions or things to address in the reviews, so I'll keep this short and to the point. Wait, there is one thing. Thanks, Diamond-Halo, for the purprle marshmallow. I don't think I've ever gotten one of those before! :) Oh yes, remember, this is in Ulrich's journal.

ATTENTION!! For all of you who have not read G-Force 4's Code Lyoko: A Retelling series, read it now! My story is taking a bit of a twist (it will be a good one, I promise!) and it would help all of you if you read his story and became familiar with it. It will save you all a lot of confusion. Plus, he's an awesome writer. Don't be daunted by the lenght, it's really really good and I guarentee you'll be one of his fans after you read his chapters.

Now, onto the chapter! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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**March 5 - Monday**

**I feel bad for Yumi... Lately, a lot of bad stuff has happened to her. The worst probably was her starting to date Theo. Well, actually that's bad for me, not her. He is bad for her though. Or, at least I think he is... He told her not to talk to me so he must be bad for her, right? I don't think he even cares about her.**

**On Saturday night, I stayed hidden after I helped Samantha find Odd. I wanted to talk to Yumi and dance with her, but I couldn't - not with Theo there. I bet anyone could have danced better than him. He was clumsy and his movements didn't match Yumi's. He was a bad dance partner. He didn't even watch to make sure no one would bump into her... I used to watch over her like that. Then, when he didn't go after her when she ran out of the dance, I had had enough. I followed him to his dorm room questioned him. It didn't get me anywhere. All he did was make me mad - no, not mad.. more like furious. If I hadn't left then, I probably would have punched him.**

**Since he didn't go after her, I did. Or at least, I tried to. When I tried to go through the crowded gym/dance floor, Emily stopped me and asked me to dance. I tried to say no, but she was convincing and, though I'd never admit it, I really like dancing. Odd would never let me live it down if he found out...**

**I told her I'd dance with her for one song, but somehow time flew and, before I knew it, three songs had played. I didn't mind dancing with Emily.. she was good and I felt kind of comfortable around her. It wasn't the same as dancing with Yumi. If I tried hard enough, I could imagine Emily was Yumi. Maybe that's why the time flew so quickly.**

**When I finally broke away from Emily, I started searching Yumi's most common, sheltered (because it was raining) spots. After I checked the walkway, halls, tool shed, sewer, and factory, I called her house. Her mom said she wasn't home yet, so I retraced her steps from the gym, assuming she was going home. Once I had walked a block, I tried calling Yumi again. She didn't answer, but the ring of her cell phone led me to her.**

**I have never been more terrified than when I saw her laying there under that branch. I thought she was dead. I think my heart stopped. It didn't start back up again until I found her slow pulse. The rest was a blur. I remember lifting up the branch and it cutting at my palms.. it was so heavy! I didn't think I was going to be able to lift it, but I had to do it, for Yumi's sake. After I got the branch off her, I called the emergency services.**

**By the time the events slowed enough for me to catch up, we were in the hospital and they were wheeling Yumi away. I tried to follow, but the nurses held me back, then everyone else came and I had to explain what had happened. I felt hollow inside, and, as the moments passed, that space filled up with fear and regret. I could have kept this all from happening! It's my fault Yumi was hurt. She'd tell me it wasn't, but I know it is. I shouldn't have let her leave the dance alone - no, more than that... I shouldn't have let her date Theo... If it would have been me she was with, we wouldn't have been in an argument. The she wouldn't have left and she wouldn't have gotten hurt. It's all my fault.**

**After a while, the doctors came and got me and let me see Yumi while they asked me some questions. I tried to answer all of them, but I couldn't give them all of the answers - at least, not the answers they wanted. I wanted to find out what had all happened to Yumi just as bad - no worse - than they did.**

**They put me in the same room as Yumi, and her parents stayed in an empty room next door. I fell asleep, but woke up soon after when Yumi woke up. I went over by her bed and explained what happened, then I asked her about the bruises on her arm and cheek. I think she was afraid to tell me. The she saw the bandages on my hands and unwrapped them. She got upset and started crying, which I don't see her do often. Seeing her cry was a shock for me... we're always seen as the strong ones, and for once, she needed me. I couldn't stand seeing her so upset so I racked my brain, searching for a way to cheer her up. Knowing that Odd always cracked her up, I tried to imitate him. I must have done a good job because she smiled.**

**Then, she surprised me again. She told me she was afraid to go to sleep. My Yumi, afraid? It didn't seem possible, but she had been through a lot lately. I promised to wake her if she had a bad dream, and she fell asleep.**

**A while later, she started moving a bit in her sleep and her heart was beating fast. I tried to wake her, but she wouldn't at first. When she did, she told me she had dreamt about Lyoko again. She dreamt she fell into the digital void and that all of it was her fault.**

**Later, I brought us breakfast, but I hadn't figured on her not being able to sit up. I tried to fix that by lifting her up and propping her up with pillows, but that just hurt her more. When I finally got the pillows positioned under her so she would be able to eat, she didn't let go of me. I could feel her tears soak into the hospital outfit the doctors had given me, and I put my arms back around her. The feeling I got... I just can't explain it...**

**Once she calmed down, I tried to distract her and keep her happy. We finished the rolls and tea, and I left to get more, which I never should have done. While I was gone, Theo showed up. I don't know what he all told her, but as I can back in, he said something about her not talking to me anymore. I argued with him, then Yumi had to make a choice: listen to Theo or stay friends with me. She chose me. For once, she chose me. I could have hugged her. I should have, right in front of Theo. He left angrily, an inside I was celebrating.**

**The rest of the afternoon was uneventful until we got ready to go. The only two interesting things what happened were I got to put my arm around Yumi to help her to the bathroom, and returning to my dorm room to find Odd holding a list of supplies for our week long camp. He told me the principal wants to see us tomorrow morning. Yumi, Odd, Jeremy, and me.. I hope it isn't something about Lyoko...**

With a troubled sigh, Ulrich closed his blue-green journal and stuck it back in his bookbag where he was sure Odd wouldn't find it. At the insistence of Odd, he joined the rest of the school for supper. In truth, he'd rather sleep, but Odd was not a person to argue with when he was hungry. The question of the meeting lurked in Ulrich's mind and he couldn't help but feel a snese of dread of what was to come.

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AN: There you go! Another chapter, courtesy of me and my boredom. Expect to see some changes in the next chapter. I'm really excited about the next chapter, but I"m not going to give anything away.. It would ruin the surprise! REMEMBER TO READ G-FORCE 4'S STORY! It is very, very important! Please review as you leave, thanks! 


	33. New Students, New Experiences

AN: Ok, here's the next chapter, co-written by G-Force 4. In response to Francesca9's question, no I haven't read the book Things Change. Sorry about the requirements, Magicalfairy12... I couldn't help it!

ATTENTION: ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT READ CODE LYOKO: A RETELLING, PLEASE DO SO NOW!! It will be very important in upcoming chapters.

And now, on with the story! Read, review, and enjoy!

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The principal cast a confident eye over the group of students seated in the rows of chair arranged in the library. Satisfied with his choices, he cleared his throat to get their attention.

"You all may be wondering why you have been called here this morning. By now, most of you have heard about the camp our school is putting on next week, and you all have been selected to become counselors and assistant teachers for various classes." This statement brought surprised murmurs from the students as they turned to one another to discuss this new development.

Two of the students currently in a discussion were none other than the school bullies, Dirk and Clayton. The former was clad in flashy clothes, chosen to show off his wardrobe, while the latter was dressed in baggier clothes, chosen to accentuate his muscles. The gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans did just that, and the surly teen did indeed look intimidating. While Dirk was slighter in build, yet well-muscled, Clayton looked like your typical muscle-bound right-hand man. What Dirk lacked in size, though, was made up for in cunning. So far, the team had managed to avoid confrontation with the school officials while instilling a sense of fear in all the students. By keeping a good image when the staff members were around, they were able to terrorize the students at Kadics without being disciplined.

"This is stupid," Clayton muttered to his partner, "I say we don't help."

"Yes the idea does sound a bit absurd but I wouldn't go that far," Dirk said, glancing at Clayton, "Where you see something stupid, I see a blessing in disguise."

Clayton was opening his mouth to speak again when the principal clapped his hands to quiet them down and get their attention.

"Now, for the assignment of classes you will be teaching," the principal began, "Theo, you are in charge of History. Yumi - English and Literature, Sissy - Health and Beauty, Odd - Music and Arts, Ulrich - Sports and Physical Education, Jeremy - Computer and Math Sciences, and Dirk and Clayton - Martial Arts and Self-Defense. Let's see.. Ari, is it? Ari is our new foreign exchange student," he said by way of explanation, "Ari, you will be assisting with English and Creative Writing. Now that leaves Darryl and Isabelle... since you two are Seniors, you will be overseeing these counselors along with teaching and attending classes. Darryl, you will be assisting with the Career Choices class, and Isabelle, you will assist the Foreign Languages instructors. Does anyone have a question? No? You are dismissed, then."

Needing no other prompting, the students turned to one another and began discussing various subjects in hushed voices.

"Have you seen Ari before?" the blond-haired Isabelle asked Darryl. He shook his head in response and brushed the strands of his black hair from his face.

"She seems familiar, but no. Maybe we've just caught glimpses of her in the hall," he answered. His brown eyes joined her brown-flecked green ones, searching for the object of their discussion.

"Over there," Isabelle said softly, nodding her head toward the seat two rows in front of them and to the right. Silently, the two studied the girl, hoping to gain some insight.

Ari's head was bent slightly downward, a few errant strands of medium-brown hair had slipped out of place and hung in front of her face, only to be brushed impatiently back to the mass of wavy locks which draped halfway down her back. The hand that brushed the hair back was delicate and held a black, mechanical pencil that seemed almost like an extension of her fingers. Intense eyes scoured the object in her lap, then looked up, as if she had sensed she was being watched. Those same dark green eyes scrutinized the faces of Darryl and Isabelle. The two seniors turned away, embarrassed that they had been caught.

A small sigh escaped the lips of the girl called Ari, and she stood as she closed the cover of her thick, lime green notebook. The olive green, long-sleeve shirt she wore clashes slightly with the notebook, and her blue jeans made a slight swishing sound as she walked past the rows of chairs. The sound drew the attention of the Lyoko group, and they glanced up briefly from their discussion as she passed. As quickly as they had been distracted, they got back to their conversation as if she had never passed. Theo sulked beside Yumi slumped back in his chair with a scowl on his face.

After a few more minutes, the rest of the students exited the library, still buzzing with their latest news.

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AN: As you may have noticed, I added some new characters. Dirk and Clayton are the property of G-Force 4, Isabelle, Darryl, and Ari are mine. Please ask us before you use them. No spoiler for the next chapter, sorry!

Review before you leave, thanks!


	34. March 7, Yumi

AN: Since it's Thanksgiving and I had a little spare time, I've brought you another chapter! Oh yeah.. Ari's name is pronounced Air-ee, not Ah-ree. Just in case you wanted to know.. I'll answer a few questions quick, then let you get to the story!

Little Vili: Jin may be in it, you'll just have to wait to find out! Sorry! :P

Leafwood: I'm glad you liked Ari! She may not be sticking around for too long, though. I haven't fully decided the roles Isabelle, Darryl, and Ari will play. I was considering putting Yumi as a Languages teacher, but thought she'd be better with literature, plus I needed a class taught by a Senior. I figured Languages would be harder to teach, so I stuck Isabelle with it. I would love to write longer chapters, but there's going to be a few short ones first. Sorry!

JLyoko: The principal is sending them to camp to enrich them and it was explained in Chapter 29.

Now, onto the story! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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Wednesday, March 7

It seems like everyone has heard about my little 'incident' on Saturday night. During class, the teachers can usually keep the whispers under control, but as son as their attention is diverted, I can almost feels the eyes drawn to me. It's not as bad in class as it is when I'm walking down the halls. The students don't even try to hide their stares and speculations as I make my way slowly down the halls. I want to run away from their prying eyes, but I can't even manage my usual walking speed so running is not an option. I am slowly getting better, though. It hurts less to move and walk, and I can tolerate soft pressures on my bruises - like shirts.

Mom tried to keep me home today when she heard about how the kids were talking about me. I'm starting to not care what they say about me, but I wish they'd stop talking about Ulrich. I heard one rumor that Ulrich hit me with the branch, and another that he carried me all the way to the hospital. I don't know how to stop all of the rumors so I'll leave them alone. They'll get tired of them soon, right? As long as they leave Ulrich alone, they can talk about me all they want.

I think I should be fully healed by the time camp starts. If four days can do this, another four should finish the job. Hopefully I'll be able to teach the other students at camp... It'd be easier if Ulrich, Odd, or Jeremy were in my class... I think they would help me keep the other kids in line, but Odd and Jeremy teach classes at the same time as my English and Literature class. Ulrich has to attend Theo's history class. I hope they don't kill each other.. Here's a list of all our schedules:

Me:

7:30 a.m. Wake-up  
8:30 Breakfast and Announcements  
9:15 teach English and Literature  
10:30 attend P.E.  
11:45 lunch  
12:20 attend English and Creative Writing  
1:35 Communications  
2:10-2:40 Journaling/Free Time

Ulrich:

7:30 a.m. Wake-up  
8:30 Breakfast and Announcements  
9:15 attend History  
10:30 teach P.E.  
11:45 lunch  
12:20 attend English and Creative Writing  
1:35-2:50 attend Martial Arts and Self-Defense

Odd:

7:30 a.m. Wake-up  
8:30 Breakfast and Announcements  
9:15 teach Music and Arts  
10:30 attend P.E.  
11:45 lunch  
12:20 attend English and Creative Writing  
1:35-2:50 attend Martial Arts and Self-Defense

Jeremy:

7:30 Wake-up  
8:30 Breakfast and Announcements  
9:15 teach Computer and Math Sciences  
10:30 attend P.E.  
11:45 lunch  
12:20 attend English and Creative Writing  
1:35-2:50 attend Languages

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AN: Well, what do you think? Just so you know, the gang coordinated their schedules, which is why they have so many classes together. I know Yumi is a year older, but in camp the grades are meshed together. Any questions? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review before you leave! Thanks! And, Happy Thanksgiving!


	35. March 9, Ulrich

AN: I'm baaack! You guys are so lucky! Another chapter in only, what, two or three days? The downside to updating so fast is I don't get all that many reviews and they really help me figure out what I need to add and clarify or if I'm doing something wrong. Even though I only got about 3 reviews for the last chapter, I'll still update, ok? But first, I'll answer questions, again.

tHe OnE aNd OnLy: Some of it will be in diary entry format, but never fear! Chapters in regular format will be appearing again eventually. Probably once they get to camp... Right now the thoughts of the characters are more important than the actions.

Lessa-13-2004: If you want to know where Ari came from, see me either before or after school or right after classes. (For all of you who don't know, Lessa and I go to the same school.) Or, you can MSN message me. I don't want the masses to know quite yet.

And now, on with the story! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

March 9 - Friday

Two days until camp and the whispers have almost stopped. Yumi seems to be recovering, and my hands are close to being healed. For once, Sissi isn't using Yumi's situation to her advantage. Even so, Odd, Jeremy, and I agreed that one of us should try to be near her whenever we can outside of class. I've starting going to her house after school. I told her it was so she could help me catch up on the work I've missed and work out some strategies for Lyoko. Her parents don't mind me coming, at least I think it's ok with them because they always seem happy to see me.

Yumi hasn't been going out on dates with Theo very often since the accident. I think her parents told her she has to wait until she's fully healed before she can go with him again. The reason doesn't matter to me; I'm glad she's not going anywhere with that scum, Theo.

Well, the principal told all of us counselors to write up some brief lesson plans and I have to pack yet so I'd better get started... I think I'll write my lesson plan in here.

Monday -- Hiking  
Tuesday -- Swimming  
Wednesday -- Canoeing  
Thursday -- Hiking/Scavenger Hunt  
Friday -- Rock Climbing  
Saturday -- Kickball  
Sunday -- Baseball

I want to add soccer, but I think it'd take too long to explain the rules to everyone. Everything else seems easy enough. Now I'd better pack before Odd gets back... I don't think I've ever seen him more excited about school. Odd as a teacher... Even I didn't see that one coming...

* * *

AN: There you go! Another chapter/diary entry. I hope you liked it! Please, leave a review and let me know what you think or leave a question and I'll do my best to answer it (as long as I don't have to reveal the plot!). Thanks! 


	36. Back to the Norm?

AN: Another chapter! I'm really on a roll! And, I've gotten over 500 reviews! That's over 5 times more than I got for my first story! Now to reply to a few reviews and then onto the next chapter!

Hussaria: Hey, some action will be coming up soon, promise! Not in this chapter or the next one, but after that, it's highly likely!

Industrial Fear X: I don't mean to make it sound like everyone hates me. Chances are, I'm just having an off-day and I'm frustrated with myself. Either that or I got a flame. Those usually rile me up a bit. :P

Jlyoko: I'm going to try to write longer chapters, but it's hard when they're journal entries. The length depends on how and what I write... Sometimes I just can't resist writing a cliffie or stopping them where I do! Plus, I can get them out to you guys sooner that way. Don't worry, I'm not offended.

If I didn't reply to your review, don't feel left out. These were the three that I thought needed answering or were topics raised often. I really do love you all! Now, onto the story! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Saturday, March 10

Only one more day left after today! Not only that, but I went to Nurse Dorothy, and she said my back is healed enough to go back to my normal life! I'm feeling a lot better, and I can even bend all I want and it barely hurts.

We've solved the being away from the factory thing, too. Since Jeremy is teaching with computers, he's going to have a Lyoko scan running constantly, even when he's teaching. Ulrich has full access to all of the P.E. equipment, which includes the bikes. If X.A.N.A. attacks, Jeremy and the two others will pedal to the factory while the last person stays and tries to slow the attack. Because we're all counselors, we get to keep our cell phones, too. The other students have to leave them at school. I'm still a little uneasy about our plan, but it's the best we have.

Now that I can't be around Theo as much, I've been seeing a lot more of the guys. Every day after class, one of them will walk with me and chatter about something. With Odd, it's some prank, and after English, he confided in me about Sam. He said he wants to double date with me sometime because he's nervous about going out with Sam alone. I can still remember most of our conversation...

(AN: Flashback, still recorded in the diary)

"Hey Yumi, can you keep a secret?" Odd asked me, demure for once.

"I would think so," I replied, smiling, "How long have we known about you-know-where and been able to keep it a secret?"

"Sorry, it's just this is important to me, and I don't want Jeremy or Ulrich finding out," Odd said, smiling sheepishly.

"I promise," I said, noting how serious he was.

"Well... I really like Sam," he said quietly, then dropped his voice to a whisper, and I had to lean in to hear him, "I think I lover her."

Was this really Odd? The crazy blond-haired guy I thought would never dedicate himself to a girl this soon. When Ulrich had teased him about it before, Odd had replied with, "Hey, I'm single until proven guilty."

"Yumi? So are you going to help me?" Odd asked, bringing me back to Earth.

"Help you what?" I asked, feeling guilty that I had tuned him out when he needed me.

"Help me by double dating with Sam and me," Odd repeated, his eyes pleading with me.

"Of course," I replied, happy to help Odd for once, "You give us a day and I'm sure Theo would be glad to come." I wasn't so sure about this, but I didn't want to dampen Odd's spirits.

"Not Theo," Odd said quickly.

"Why now?" I asked, surprised by the sudden change.

"I.. uh... I don't think Sam would be as comfortable around him as... uh... she does Ulrich," Odd said, then added quickly, "or Jeremy."

"Um... ok...," I said, knowing that Theo would not like this at all.

"Great, thanks!" Odd exclaimed, displaying an unusual show of affection by hugging me.

(AN: End flashback)

Another change since Saturday is Ulrich and I have been spending most evenings together. Either after classes or after supper he comes to my house, and we either study or we plan strategies for Lyoko. The principal gave him a pass so not even Jim can stop him. The whole thing is almost creepy... it's like my dream from the hospital is coming true. Well, the strategy planning part of it anyway. I hope the Lyoko part of my dream doesn't play out... I'm afraid to go back to Lyoko.

* * *

AN: There you go! The next chapter will not be an entry, but it won't be at camp either. It'll be a tidge of fluff since you guys have been demanding it so much. Not too much though, so don't start gagging yet, guys. See you in the next chapter! Please review before you leave, thanks!


	37. Strategies

AN: Here you go! I'm still in a little bit of sleep-daze from the stuff they used to knock me out to do my wisdom teeth this morning, so you aren't getting much of an author note. Sorry! I've already started the next chapter, promise!

ATTENTION! Jin belongs to G-Force 4, check out his stories! They will help you understand things a bit better.

* * *

Yumi excused herself as the all-too familiar sound of her cell phone ringing broke into the group's conversation.

"Hello?"

"Hello, sweetie," Yumi's mother said, her voice light and cheerful.

"Oh, hi Mom."

"Honey, I was wondering if you could stop and pick up some bread on your way home."

"Sure, when do you want me home?" Yumi asked.

"I was hoping you'd be home in an hour or so... We'd like to spend a little more time with you before you go to camp. You can bring a friend home with you if you'd like," her mother said, sneakily holding the bait out to her daughter, then added, "I'm making Sweet and Sour Chicken."

"Is it ok if I bring Ulrich?" Yumi asked.

"Of course, dear," her mother replied, glad her plan had worked, "See you in an hour, ok?"

"Ok, bye Mom." Yumi put her cell phone back in her pocket and rejoined the conversation.

"Are you sure Jim won't catch us?" Ulrich asked.

"Of course not, we'll be helping you organize the P.E. equipment by the time Sissi notices anything," Odd replied mischievously.

"Why do you pull these pranks on Sissi?" Aelita asked from the computer screen.

"She's annoying, desperate, and tries to cause trouble for us," Ulrich replied a little heatedly.

"What are you guys doing this time?" Yumi asked, for she had missed out on this part of their conversation.

"Oh, nothing really," Odd said nonchalantly, "Just a little poison icy and blue-tinted calamine lotion, but only if she misbehaves."

"You guys have really outdone yourselves this time," Yumi said, laughing, "Try not to overdo it, though. We don't really want to hurt her, just annoy her." Yumi didn't like the annoying brat, but she didn't approve of unusually cruel treatment, even of Sissi.

"Don't worry, we'll only put a little on her sheets, then we'll change them after it takes effect," Ulrich replied.

"What did your mom want?" Jeremy asked, changing the subject.

"She wants me home in an hour, but she said I could bring a friend," Yumi answered, shrugging, "Who wants to come?"

"I plan to work on Aelita's materialization program tonight," Jeremy replied, "Plus I'm going to work on setting up a program that sends X.A.N.A. attack alerts to each of your phones."

"Sorry Yumi, but tonight's hamburger night at the cafeteria," Odd, the bottomless pit, said, rubbing a hand over his stomach, "Besides, last time I cam your mom got a little mad. I probably should have eaten a little less." This elicited a chuckle from the group, except Aelita, who was, for the most part, unaware of Odd's eating habits.

"That leaves me," Ulrich said quietly, pushing himself away from the wall he had been leaning on.

"She's making Sweet and Sour Chicken," Yumi said, knowing, like her mom, that it was Ulrich's favorite.

"What are we waiting for, then?" Ulrich asked, smiling slightly. She doesn't need to try to tempt me with food, Ulrich thought, I would have come anyway.

Together, the pair walked out of Jeremy's room and left the school. Hands in his pockets, Ulrich tried to think of something to say to break the silence. Out of the corner of his eye, he studied Yumi's face. After a little while longer, the silence began to feel companionable and Ulrich stopped trying to thing of a way to start a conversation. After the picked up the bread and they were about halfway to Yumi's house, the bells on the far side of the park began to ring solemnly, the tones marking off the time as 4 p.m.

As the last bell died off, Yumi stole a glance at Ulrich. She was enjoying the feeling of companionship, but she was starting to feel restless. Yesterday Nurse Dorothy declared her healed, and she hadn't had a chance to stretch her legs yet. Well, there's no better time than the present, Yumi thought wryly. Grabbing Ulrich's right arm at the elbow, she started to jog, pulling him with her. His hand slid out of his pocket and her hand slipped down until it gripped his.

Yumi laughed at the startled look on his face and continued to pull him until he was running on his own.

"I'll race you," Yumi shouted, her hand slipping from his. In response to her challenge, Ulrich ran after her, and the two were evenly matched. When Yumi's house was in sight, she put on an extra burst of speed, pulling ahead, holding the sack of bread carefully away from her body so she wouldn't damage it. Though he tried, Ulrich was unable to catch up to her. As Yumi slapped her hand on the siding of the house, Ulrich slowed to a walk, both of the teens breathing heavily. Yumi leaned her side against the side of her house, her back burning form the strain running had put on it. I probably should have taken it slower, Yumi thought, pushing away from the house and wincing.

The window near Yumi opened and her mother stuck her head out.

"Come on inside," Mrs. Ishiyama said cheerfully.

Still slightly out of breath, Yumi nodded, and Ulrich followed her into the house.

* * *

"Supper was wonderful, Mrs. Ishiyama," Ulrich said politely as he set down his chopsticks and put his napkin on his recently emptied plate.

"Thank you, Ulrich," she replied, glad that her guest had enjoyed himself, "You and Yumi run along now and study." Yumi nodded and smiled at her parents as she stood and beckoned Ulrich to follow.

"So, what do you want to do?" Yumi asked, sitting down indian-style on her bed.

Ulrich shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me."

After a moment's pause, Yumi pulled a small folder of papers from under her pillow.

"I couldn't sleep last night so I thought up these," Yumi said, handing the folder to Ulrich. He sat down on the bed beside her, and his eyes poured over the figures and positions depicted on the front sheet.

"This is more of a defense strategy, isn't it?" Ulrich said absentmindedly. He didn't notice her nod, but he did see her finger as it traced the movements of the symbols she had drawn on the paper.

"The arrow is Odd, you're the X, Aelita's the star, and I'm the O," Yumi said, "The idea is we stay close around Aelita in a wedge shape with you in the front because you're better at deflecting lasers where Odd just steps in front of them. What do you think?"

"Not a bad idea," Ulrich replied thoughtfully, then flipped to the next sheet. Over the next half hour, they went over strategies and planned new ones.

"Ready to try some of these out?" Ulrich asked, standing and stretching his stiff muscles.

"Sure," Yumi replied, standing as well. The two made their way outside and into the backyard. Once there, Yumi dug through the tool shed and found a long piece of slender pipe, five gallon buckets, a ten gallon bucket, and a half-circle of a light wood. Yumi set up the five gallon buckets on either side of the stump in the middle of the yard. She guessed a distance of about three feet, flipped the buckets upside-down, and dug the rim slightly into the ground. Next, Yumi carried the ten gallon bucket behind the stump and positioned it the same way she had the others.

"Ok, each one of these is a monster," Yumi said, indicating the buckets and stump, "Which strategy should we start with?"

"Well, we can't try any of the ones that include Odd and Aelita," Ulrich said, flipping through the sheets, "Let's try this attack one." Ulrich had flipped the pages to the one which held the strategy the pair had used in Yumi's nightmare about Lyoko. Yumi nodded, a bit unsettled that he had chosen that one first.

"Which part do you want to be?" Yumi asked.

"I'll take the defense in the front," Ulrich said. "And, I have a suggestion for this strategy. Instead of one person remaining in the front defending, we should alternate when the person defending loses too many life points."

"Good idea," Yumi said enthusiastically. Now that the parts had been decided, Yumi handed the pipe to Ulrich and switched the half-circle of wood to her right hand and held it as she would her fan. "Ready?"

Ulrich nodded and moved in front of her. As the two walked forward (there wasn't enough room to run), Ulrich fended off imaginary lasers. Pretending to be hit by a volley of the beams, he stepped backward and Yumi moved around him and took the defensive role. When they reached the "monsters," Ulrich moved around Yumi and mock-stabbed the first bucket with his pipe. Then, he spun to the left, dodged an imaginary laser, and jumped onto the stump. After tapping his "sword" straight down into the wooden monster, he jumped off it and onto the five gallon bucket on the far left side. It wobbled slightly , and Ulrich widened his stance and bent his knees slightly to decrease the shock and regain his balance. Once the bucket had stopped tottering Ulrich tapped the center of the "monster" and leapt to the ten gallon bucket behind the stump. Again, he "destroyed" the offending object and leapt backward.

It would have been a flawless getaway if it hadn't been for the stump. As his feet were about to touch ground, his heels hit the stump, the pipe flew from his hands, and his arms pin wheeled in the air, seeking balance. Seeing his plight, Yumi rushed forward, but was not in time to break his fall. Ulrich landed on his back with his heels barely resting on the stump. A "whoosh" was heard as all the air in his lungs was expelled from him forcefully.

When his eyes reopened, Ulrich saw Yumi standing over him. From his viewpoint, her face was upside down and her features were lined with worry.

"Are you ok?" Yumi asked, looking down at Ulrich, unsure of how to help him.

"I'm fine... I just thought I'd take a nap," Ulrich said trying for humor. Now that she was sure he was ok, Yumi's expression lightened and she chuckled quietly as she remembered the expression on his face as he fell. Startled, yet cute. Of course at the time she had been concerned, but now the experience was just plain funny. Moving to Ulrich's side, Yumi reached down a hand to help him up.

"Anything hurt?" Yumi asked.

"Just my butt and my pride," Ulrich replied with a grin as he accepted Yumi's hand. Once he was righted, he brushed off the back of his clothes and surveyed the damage he had done. All three of the buckets now laid on their side, and his make-shift sword had imbedded itself vertically in the ground just in front of the stump.

"Other than you falling, I think that strategy went rather well," Yumi said, smiling also, "Do you want to try another."

"Another fall or another strategy?" Ulrich quipped.

"Another strategy," Yumi chuckled.

"It's starting to get dark," Ulrich said, looking at the rainbow of colors across the dusk sky.

"Do you want to go back to school?" Yumi asked, disappointed that time had gone so fast.

"If it's ok with you and your parents, I'd rather stay a little longer."

"I'm sure it'll be fine with them," Yumi said, "Do you want to go inside?"

"I'd rather stay out here... Jim doesn't let us out of our dorms other than to go to classes and eat. He says Odd and I are troublemakers." This was met with a grin from Yumi before Ulrich continued, "Besides, I like being outside." Yumi nodded in reply and sat down on the grass. Ulrich sat beside her, and for the next hour or so, the two talked about various things, the main topic being camp.

"I've never been away from my parents for more than two days," Yumi confessed, "And those two were while I was visiting my brother in America."

"You have a brother?"

"Yeah... he's my twin. His name's Jin and he's living in America as a foreign exchange student."

"Wow... how come you never told us?"

"You never asked."

While Ulrich digested this new information, the first stars appeared in the sky, winking at them as if they were reminding each human of the secrets they had shared with the celestial bodies. A comfortable silence enveloped them, and before long the two had switched from sitting to laying down instead. The feeling of relaxation this brought was too much for Yumi and she slowly drifted to sleep. As the night progressed, it became slightly cooler, as was typical in March. Ulrich was aware of a body pressing lightly against his side, and he looked over to see Yumi curled up against his side, sleeping peacefully. Carefully, as not to disturb her, Ulrich sat up and smiled, watching the sleeping girl for a few moments before he gently picked her up and carried her inside. Ulrich set her on her bed and pulled the blankets over her peaceful form, and his gaze lingered on her tranquil face and his feature softened. Glancing at the door quickly to be sure no one would see him, he bent down and kissed Yumi on the forehead.

"Goodnight," he whispered before walking to her door and flipping off the light.

* * *

AN: Some light fluff for you all to enjoy. Merry Christmas! 


	38. Introducing Miss Ishiyama

AN: I'm baaaaack! Sorry about the long wait, guys. My computer had some nasty viruses and had to go to the doctor for a while, which meant I couldn't type. But, I'm back now and I'm ready to go! I even have my next chapter part way done! I'm trying to make longer chapters for you guys. Now I'll answer some reviews...

Bookworym: Theo is NOT out of they way. He just wasn't allowed to go out with Yumi while she was healing since she seemed to be so "accident prone" around him. He'll be back, don't worry.

Wind91Rider: Don't worry, the plot will pick up soon. It's kind of like the calm before the storm, you know?

A HUGE thanks to G-Force 4 for helping with the skit and for letting me borrow Dirk and Clayton. He's the greatest!

* * *

Oh my... This is a lot of people, Yumi thought in awe as she looked over her class of 25. Small conversations were taking place between the students, and as the teacher rapped his knuckles against his desk, the students ceased talking and faced forward.

"I am Mr. Hyonin and Miss Ishiyama will be instructing you," the disheveled brunette said, running a stern eye over the class. "The floor is yours, Miss Ishiyama."

"Ok... well, this is English and Literature class so let's get to the literature," Yumi began nervously. Picking up the sheet that held her lesson plans, she glanced at the day's activities.

In class:  
Skit - record student tendencies and cooperation efforts  
Distribute books

Assignments:  
Favorite book information sheet

"Since interpretation is a major part of literature, we're going to start with some skits," Yumi said, feeling a bit more confident now that she had their attention, "Everyone needs at least one partner, then I'll give you the item to work with and the emotion you need to use. Go ahead and pair up." As the students grouped together and speculated about their skit, Yumi looked to Mr. Hyonin for approval.

He caught her eye and gave her a small nod, then went back to grading the stacks of papers left over from the previous school week.

Once the students stopped milling about, five distinct groups had formed. Of the five groups, three had six members, one had five, and the last had two. Yumi groaned inwardly as she saw the contents of the smallest group. Clayton and Dirk. Please, please let them behave, Yumi thought with a sinking feeling in her heart. Though she dreaded the end result of their skit, she resolved to see her plan through. Grabbing the five items, she distributed them among the groups. On Sunday night, she had assembled the most ordinary items to give to the groups and came up with the emotions to pair them up with.

Yumi gave the group of five the pillow, on which was a tag that said happy. One group of six received chopsticks labeled love, while another group had a pencil and hate to work with. The last group of six was given a light bulb and discontentment. When she finally reached Dirk and Clayton, she had two items left. One was an old-fashioned fan and anger and the last was a walking stick and confusion. Figuring they could do less damage with confusion, she handed them the walking stick and headed back to the front of the classroom.

"You have fifteen minutes to prepare and remember, no violence." The last part was added for the benefit of a certain two troublemakers, but Yumi figured all of the groups should hear it, too.

During her fifteen minute reprieve, Yumi set up the 30 books she had chosen for the class to pick from. Her desk became a colorful display of books with various themes and genres. Classic, horror, sport, teen problem, fantasy, and many others lined up across the wood, ready to be selected. When the students' prep time was up, Yumi cleared her throat loudly to get their attention.

"Before we start with the skits, I would like you all to come up and choose a book," Yumi said confidently, gesturing at the books, "The book you choose is the one you will be responsible for reading and giving an oral report on." The students looked at the books on the desk with little less than contempt, but they still went up to the front of the room to make their choice. Once every student had a book Yumi motioned for the first group to begin their skit.

"Ann, look at this pillow, doesn't it make you so happy?" Elizabeth said enthusiastically, shoving the pillow at the blond girl."

"A happy pillow! You've found a happy pillow!" Ann gushed and the skit continued. Seeing the first group perform did a great deal to loosen up the others and each skit became even more vivid and funny. Finally, only one group was left.

"Dirk and Clayton, please present your skit," Yumi said authoritively, fearing the worst.

The two bullies walked to the front of the class and nodded slightly to Mr. Hyonin, completely ignoring Yumi.

"What's that?" Clayton asked, pointing to the walking stick and trying his best to sound confused.

"I don't know, and who are you?" Dirk replied, barely attempting a confused tone. Then, suddenly, Dirk tossed the walking stick at Clayton and crossed his arms. "Forget it. Take it from here, Clayton. I'm done with this."

A look of genuine confusion crossed Clayton's features as he attempted to comprehend the latest events. After a minute of silence passed, Dirk glared at his supposed friend and turned around to walk back to his seat.

Confusion turned to anger as Clayton realized what Dirk was doing. He was trying to make his right hand man, _his friend_, look like a fool. Clayton's hands clenched the walking stick and started to bend it downward unconsciously. Had he continued much longer, the prop would have be reduced to kindling. Instead, the muscle-bound boy threw the stick down, grabbed Dirk by the shoulder and turned him around roughly, then grabbed him by the collar.

"What the heck do you think you're doing!" the angry boy yelled into Dirk's face.

Any other student would be quaking in his shoes, but not Dirk. Instead, he smiled and replied, "What's the matter, Clayton? Can't figure it out yet?"

Again, confusion crossed Clayton's features and his hold on Dirk's collar loosened. Confusion was then replaced by a small smile as he realized that Dirk had done all of this to _really _confuse him and get him to follow his lead.

"Look, you gotta run that by me again. I mean, all we have to do is present a little scene with that walking stick, right? I wasn't really paying attention so I don't know what's exactly going on," Clayton said, trying to play along.

"And what exactly _is_ going on, Mr. Kap Hwan?" Yumi asked bitingly, trying to nip a potential problem in the bud.

"We're performing our skit of course," Dirk replied matter-of-factly. Seeing her confusion, Dirk smirked and explained, "Anyone can just plan out a scene using these simplistic guidelines. However, I thought I should play this one out by ear so that I could really get my friend here confused. Of course, I'm just explaining this to the class because obviously you knew that already. Right, teacher?"

"Just sit down," Yumi said exasperatedly, rubbing her forehead. The two boys complied, returning the walking stick on their way back to their seats. Once they were seated, Yumi sighed softly and straightened her shoulders, trying to not get angry with the two. After all, they did do as she assigned. Picking up a stack of papers from her desk, she distributed them as she explained the assignment.

"You need to fill out this sheet with information about your favorite book and please follow the instructions carefully. This is due tomorrow." Yumi made a mental note to stop trying to sound so much like a teacher and instead try to be herself. Getting angry or frustrated with her students wouldn't get her anywhere.

When the large bell in front of the camp rang, signaling the end of class, Yumi sighed again, this time in relief.

"Remember to read your book and fill out your assignment," Yumi reminded them, "Class dismissed." As the students filed past her, two stopped just inside the door.

"Ready to quit yet, teach?" Dirk asked snidely, speaking quietly enough so Mr. Hyonin wouldn't hear.

"You wish," was Yumi's terse reply.

"Yeah, we really do," Clayton said quietly. Somehow, this hurt more than all Dirk had said.

* * *

AN: I hope you liked this chapter! My next one is partially written and the one after that is partially done, too. I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing a lot, so expect more sometimes soon (I hope!). I'm going to try to follow some of the classes that the gang is teaching or is in.

If any of you want to talk to me, my MSN Messenger is back and so is my Yahoo ( my sn is Trillinka). Also, I'm on TV Tome under Trillinka. Please review before you leave, thanks!


	39. The hunt is on!

AN: Finally! Another chapter typed! Over four pages long, too! I promise everything will get a bit more "on plot" soon. This is just a lead in and a chapter I'm using to introduce you a bit more to Ari and her mannerisms. Plus, it's another of my "class chapters." Now, I'll answer a few reviews before I move on to the chapter!

Matilda: I'm glad you like BCH! And, thank you for letting me know all of the errors in a few chapters. I don't have the time to preread so when I post I always hope someone will point them out to me so I can fix them. I really appreciate it!

Little Vili: I know, I know.. It seems like it's falling away from the plot, but I haven't killed this "plot bunny" yet, so you just wait. I promise things will get back on track

Chinesechic: I just finished a term as a cadet teacher, which is a course where Seniors student teach a class and thought it'd be a good twist to the camp. So, in BCH, upperclassmen and those who excel at various things were chosen as camp counselors to both give the teachers a break and to give the students experience in front of a group

And now, on to the chapter! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Ulrich surveyed his class of 30 with a critical eye. 

"Welcome to P.E., camp style," Jim bellowed, startling both the students and their new student teacher. "Ulrich here will be in charge of this class, but I'll be watching so don't try anything funny."

"Ok, thanks, Jim. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Ulrich Stern."

From the back of the group, some of the youngest girls tried to sneak a glance at the handsome soccer whiz they had heard so much about. But alas, they were too short. Some of the girls were brave enough to move forward and earned a coveted glance.

"We're hiking today so everybody pair off and we'll get started," Ulrich instructed. Immediately, junior journalists Milly and Tamiya stood side-by-side. Various alliances formed in the large group, leaving only four students undecided. Typically, Ulrich would pair up with Odd, and Jeremy with Yumi. This time, Ulrich wasn't an available partner. Odd seemed to be more drawn toward Jeremy, leaving Yumi by herself. Looking around, Yumi spotted the only other unpaired student. The other girl searched the group and saw Yumi. Their eyes made contact, and Yumi smiled at her. The two paired up, and the hike began. They filed into the woods in a long line that was two people wide. Ulrich led the way while Jim brought up the rear.

"My name's Ari," the girl said.

"I'm -"

"Yumi Ishiyama, I know. And your brother is Jin, right?"

"Yes, how do you -"

"Know your name? I was given a list of counselors and their pictures and had learned who they are in case I had any problems. Plus, you're in my Creative Writing class, and you look a lot like Jin."

"How do you know Jin?"

"He was in my class back in the United States. We started talking and became friends. He talked about you a lot, and he said you hadn't been writing him lately. He's worried about you, you know."

Yumi hung her head, guilty that she had forgotten to write. In an attempt to redirect Ari, she changed the subject.

"What class did you have this morning?" Yumi asked.

"French." Ari rolled her eyes. "I feel like I'm lightyears behind all of you. I mean, it's this country's native language so I can see why, but I still can't help but feel lost sometimes."

"I could help you study," Yumi suggested, "I have Journaling at 2:10 if you have free time them."

"Really? That'd be great! I'll pay you back somehow," Ari said enthusiastically.

"You don't have to," Yumi said. "It'd be good practice for me."

After that, the girls stayed silent, for the path had narrowed, and low branches threatened to smack anyone who was caught unaware. Before long, the path widened and the group entered a small clearing.

"Ok, we're going to have a scavenger hunt so one person from each group needs to come get a list," Ulrich said once the students had quieted down. "There are ten things on each list, and the groups that return with all the stuff get full marks. Go!"

Yumi and Ari went to the right and glanced down at the list before starting their search.

Scavenger Hunt

5 pieces of grass  
Something white  
Something blue  
Berries  
3 different kinds of leaves  
A live bug  
A spider's web  
A nut  
The name carved on Lookout Tree  
The rarest item that you can find - can not be living

"Which one should we look for first?" Ari asked, her eyes skimming the list again.

"I don't know... Maybe at the top?"

Ari nodded consent, and the two girls stepped onto one of the paths that lead away from the clearing. Ari held on to the list and read off the items while Yumi collected them, and before long, they had found four things. So far, they had collected the grass, berries, leaves, and nut, and they started searching for something white.

"Does he mean a flower or what?" Ari asked, crouched down as she walked so she could see the undergrowth better. "Wait! I found something!" Ari held up a palm-sized white rock that she had literally stumbled across.

"What's next?" Yumi asked.

"Something blue." This took the girls longer before Yumi came back to the trail holding some blueberries.

"Great thinking!" Ari exclaimed, seeing the berries in Yumi's hand. The black-haired girl tried to hand the fruit to Ari, but the brunette backed away. "Sorry, I'm allergic to blueberries.. Even the juice makes me break out," Ari said. "You'll have to hold them. I don't want to chance getting the juice on my hands." Yumi nodded, holding the berries loosely in her fist.

"Next is... a live bug."

"Maybe we should get that one last so we don't lose it," Yumi suggested.

"Agreed. Ok... then we need a spider's web. There should be one between some branches." Of all the items so far, this one took the girls the longest. Because Ari couldn't see the tree branches well enough to find a web, she started looking in bushes while Yumi searched the trees. Finally, Ari spotted the artistic article. Setting down the list, she pulled the web off of the bush's branches as delicately as possible. A little bit of it ripped, but most of it remained intact, and the brunette laid it carefully on the bottom of the list so it wouldn't get lost.

"Yumi, I found the web. Now we have to find Lookout Tree."

Yumi jogged over to Ari and they both started in different directions, looking for a tree worthy of the name "Lookout." After nearly fifteen minutes of searching, Ari met back up with Yumi.

"I give up!" Ari plopped down with her back against a wide tree.

"Don't quit, we'll find it," Yumi said encouragingly, walking over to the other girl. "It has to be here somewhere."

"We've looked all over this part of the forest," Ari said. "So far we haven't found anything written on any of the tall trees." The two girls remained silent for a few moments, then Ari's brow wrinkled in concentration. "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way... Maybe what we're looking for isn't tall... start looking for a tree that's pointing or has a branch that's pointing!" Both girls spread out and started their search anew.

"Over here!" Ari rushed over to where Yumi stood by a fallen tree that leaned against a broad tree in one of the still-living tree's high forks. Obviously, it had gained its name because it pointed to the treetops, and should anyone climb it, it would serve as a good survey point. On the bottom of the tree was carved one word - Rebirth. As the word stated, the base of Lookout Tree was covered in small shoots of its successors.

Ari pulled a pencil from behind her ear and scribbled the word on the list paper, then stuck the pencil back behind her ear.

"We should probably start heading back," Yumi said, turning to the path. "We'll find the other stuff on the way to the clearing." Ari nodded, then followed the raven-haired girl, both watching for something rare.

"Finding anything?" Yumi asked.

"Nope."

As Yumi looked up to see how close they were to the clearing, her foot kicked something small, and it clattered away from her. Startled, she looked down and saw a tiny skull. Bending down, she picked it up and held the creamy white bone in the palm of her hand. It was so small that she assumed it had come from a mouse.

"I think we've found our rare item," Yumi called out to her partner. Careful not to break the delicate skull, Yumi searched for the last item on the list - a live bug.

"Hurry up," Ari called frantically, "I have the bug and it's trying to get away!" The two girls raced back to the clearing and stood, panting, in front of the assistant P.E. instructor. Already, nine groups had returned and either sat or stood along the edge of the meeting area.

"Found it all?" Ulrich asked the girls. Ari nodded and read off the items as Yumi pulled them out of her pocked and handed them to Ulrich.

"Grass.... something white.." This time she dug into her own pocket, pulled out the white stone, and handed it to him before reading on. "Something blue.. berries... leaves... a live bug.. Oops, it's trying to get away... here you go." Ari handed Ulrich the spider she had caught and the boy shook it off frantically.

"What's wrong? Did it bite you?" Ari asked.

"No.. it's just I've always had this fear of spiders.." Ulrich replied sheepishly, then tried to change the subject. "Did you find everything else?"

"Yeah, hold on, ok... the spider's web is on the bottom of the paper... a nut.. Rebirth is what's carved on Lookout Tree.. and Yumi has our rare item."

Yumi held the skull out to Ulrich, and he took it from her carefully, examining it. On the stump behind him sat the rare items of the groups before them. The other rare items ranged from strangely colored rocks to bird's nests to feathers.

"Good, you guys can go rest now while we wait for the others." Jim motioned to the edge of the clearing, and the girls obediently sat with the rest of their class. Slowly, more groups returned until only one was still missing.

After fifteen more minutes had passed, Ulrich started walking down one of the paths. "I'll find the girls, Jim you take everyone else back to camp."

"Hold on just a second there, Ulrich. I'm the adult in charge so I'll go looking while you take the class back. Besides, you have other classes to attend. Which girls are missing?"

"Amanda and Abby, sir. They went that way with us, but then they went a different way." Milly pointed down the path to Ulrich's left.

"C'mon, Jim. Let me look for them. I'm sure they haven't gone too far." Ulrich faced the giant gym teacher and awaited his decision.

"Sorry, Ulrich, but I can't chance another student getting lost. You take the students back while I search, and that's an order." Jim stood resolutely and Ulrich bowed his head in defeat as he walked back to the main group.

"Let's go," Ulrich said, leading the way down the path toward camp. The group filed in behind him and held whispered conversations. As they entered the main campgrounds, Sissi's father, Principal Delmas, rang the bell, which sat in the middle of the camp's front lawn.

"You're dismissed," Ulrich said, indicating with his hand that the class should disperse.

"See you at 2:10," Ari called to Yumi before heading toward the cabin she was supervising. Yumi nodded at the foreign girl and headed to her cabin, too.

Each cabin was given a rustic, log cabin style look, which was popular in the United States. Inside, eight bunk beds were arranged. Two bunk beds were placed against each of the longest walls with one bunk bed against each of the shorter walls. Two bunk beds had also been placed in the middle of the room, making the maximum occupancy of each room 16. Yumi had claimed the bottom bunk of the bed closest to the door. As a student teacher, she was also responsible for supervising her cabin of girls.

Reaching under her bed, she pulled out a small traveling bag and grabbed her hairbrush. Once she deemed herself presentable, she left for lunch.

* * *

"Hey Yumi." Theo smiled at the raven-haired girl as he sat down beside her at the lunch table and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. 

"Hello, Theo." Yumi tried to shrug his arm off, but Theo tightened it around her.

"I've missed you," Theo said. Ulrich scowled at the pair, but neither seemed to notice. Yumi seemed to be very interesting in her plate, while Theo seemed to be very interested in her.

"Please take your arm off me," Yumi said quietly so only he could hear, tensing for the blow she was sure would follow.

"Too good for me now?" Theo's soft voice was laced with venom, and he kept his arm around her, then leaned in closer to her ear and whispered, "I have a surprise for you. Meet me at midnight by the edge of the forest." As he pulled his head back, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek, the proceeded to eat his lunch. As he was eating, he snuck a glance at Ulrich, who seemed to be very intent on cutting his pizza into tiny morsels.

He isn't supposed to touch her... he isn't supposed to kiss her, Ulrich seethed, she told him to take his arm off her, but he didn't! I'll take it off her yet, you just wait, Theo. Ulrich's thoughts continued in this vein for the rest of lunch. He had barely eaten anything, and as the kids scraped their plates, he saw Theo's arm snake around Yumi's waist, which sent a fresh wave of hatred and jealousy coursing through his body.

* * *

AN: There you go! I have another chapter a little bit typed, but all handwritten. Whenever I find time, I'll work on getting it done. Meanwhile, please keep your fingers crossed for me. I just submitted an application for a full tuition scholarship to a teaching college, which is what has been taking up my time this past bit and kept me from writing. Review before you leave, thanks! 


	40. This Darkness Around Us

AN: I'm back with another chapter! Just to clarify, Ari was a bit more in the spotlight last chapter so you could get a feel for her character. She will NOT be taking over or staying for long, at least I don't think she'll be staying. Now to answer some reviews before we get on to the chapter!

FF-Rules: So far, I haven't planned a meeting between Jin and the rest of the gang, but he might just show up a bit later without being there in person. Other than that, my lips are sealed! And about Ari being talkative, well... she has a bit of a chatter problem and she doesn't like to be slowed down, which is why she interrupts so much.

Little Vili: I know, I didn't want to make the scavenger hunt thing very long, but I wanted to develop Ari a bit more. She has a strong personality and I wanted that to show in the last chapter.

Thank you all for the well-wishes concerning my scholarship! I should know sometime later this month, maybe! And now, without further ado... the next chapter! Read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Yumi tiptoed out the cabin a few minutes before midnight, fully dressed and carrying her shoes. Once she was out of the cabin, she put on her shoes and mixed emotions tumbled through her as she walked toward the forest. Some of her was afraid, a bit was excited, but most was curious. Theo had said it was a surprise, so Yumi tried to only assume the best. Maybe he was finally making up for... for what happened before. After a short wait, Theo arrived. 

"Hey, Yumi."

"Hello."

"I have a surprise for you." Theo took her hand and pulled her around the edge of the forest and alongside a few of the cabins. As they were passing one, Yumi tripped over a fallen tree branch and fell to the ground.

"Come on." Theo pulled her to her feet and the two continued until they had reached the back edges of the camp. Once they had stopped, Theo wrapped his arms around Yumi. "Ready for your surprise?" Yumi tried to wiggle out of his embrace, but he held her tightly. As he leaned down to kiss her, she was able to put her hands on his chest, and she push away with all her might, succeeding in separating them.

"Theo, we need to talk." Yumi's voice shook, but she stood firmly.

"About what?" Theo asked, his voice so quiet that it sent a shiver down Yumi's spine.

"I - I think we need to go our separate ways."

"No." Theo's answer was firm.

The bushes rustled to their left, and Yumi's head turned toward the sound. Already jumpy, the rustling had made her heartbeat skyrocket. Seeing nothing, she looked back at Theo and crossed her arms over her stomach as if anticipating her punishment.

Unbeknownst to the two, shadowed eyes watched from behind the shrubs as madness set into the young man.

"You're lucky to have me. I've watched over the past week as you've walked home with Ulrich, invited him home, and God knows what else. You ignored me and went to him. Every time I turn my back you go to him! I love you and this is the thanks I get!" The clouds obscured the pale moonlight from the full moon for a moment, casting even darker shadows along the border of the woods. When the orb came back into view, its glow reflected from the boy's eyes, giving his dilated pupils a feral look.

Yumi knew this was the time to be submissive, but something inside her snapped, the old Yumi came back, and she couldn't hold back what came next.

"Maybe if you were a little nicer to me things would be different, she retorted bitterly, her hands balling into fists at her sides. Then she sealed her fate by adding, "At least Ulrich doesn't hurt me."

She instantly regretted her brashness as a searing pain in her stomach brought her to her knees, gasping for air. While she tried to recover from the blow, an infuriated Theo grabbed her by the hair and roughly pulled her head back until she was looking him in the eye.

"Never - _never _say that name in my presence again," Theo said through clenched teeth. To emphasize his point, his free right hand balled into a fist and flew at Yumi's left cheek. Closing her eyes, Yumi awaited the impact. When it came, tears of pain welled up in her eyes, and she fought to keep them in. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Never.

With his left hand still clenching her hair, Theo shook her. "I gave you a break before because everyone was watching you so close, but now you're going to be by me all the time outside of class. Do I make myself clear?" he asked icily. When she failed to answer him, he cursed himself for letting her be so independent. His father would have never let his mother get this far. Angry at himself for falling so short of his father's ideal, his father for not being there for him, and Yumi for being the cause of the guilt he would feel afterward, he searched for a way to vent his feelings. Unfortunately for Yumi, it was focused on her, his own personal punching bag. This time, his right foot lashed out, connecting solidly with her left side as he released his grip on her hair. The added force knocked Yumi to the side and she ended in the dirt.

"Well, what do you say?" Theo sneered at the fallen girl.

"I say this has gone far enough," a calm voice answered. Surprised by the intrusion, Theo turned toward the sound and saw a slight figure walking toward him.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Theo snarled contemptuously.

"Who I am doesn't matter," the girl said. "What does matter is what's going on here." By now, the girl had come close enough to be recognized.

She's Ari, the creative writing teacher, Theo thought, then calculated how much of a threat she posed. She'll be just as easy to take down as Yumi, Theo thought ruthlessly.

"You have a problem with how I manage my life?" Theo asked darkly.

"Not how you manage your life, but rather how you control hers."

"Control? I only do this because I love her," Theo replied.

The smaller girl had now reached the pair and stopped when she was between the two.

"You're going to leave now and never touch her again," Ari said slowly, an uncharacteristic fire burning in her eyes.

Theo was taken aback by the intensity of this seemingly insignificant person, then his eyes narrowed.

"I will do as I please," he spat. During this time, Yumi had maneuvered her aching body into a sitting position. Though it hurt, the slightly raised position gave her a better view of Theo and her would-be hero. As Yumi tried to push herself to her feet, Theo's hand lashed out angrily and connected solidly with Ari's left cheek. The girl did not turn away, however; she merely locked her acrid gaze on her aggressor. Infuriated by her lack of submissiveness, Theo struck out at her again, this time his fist driving home a punch on her abdomen. This brought a slight reaction from Ari as she nearly doubled over, clutching her stomach. Eyes narrowed in anger, Theo brought his right elbow down forcefully on the girl's exposed back, sending her to the ground. Still, no sound was elicited from the brunette. After a few kicks at the fallen girl, Theo stopped, satisfied he had beaten her into submission. He was contemplating his next move when Ari sat up slowly, then stood. Once again, she leveled her gaze on him and he began to grow unnerved.

"You will leave her alone from now on," Ari said evenly, her anger barely contained. Though her stance suggested self-assurance, her trembling hands betrayed her and she clenched them into fists.

"She's mine and I'll do as I please," Theo repeated through clenched teeth. "And, if you tell anyone about this, you'll both suffer, understood?" To emphasize his point, Theo's open hand raced at Ari's face, but this time it did not make contact. Instead, Theo was surprised to find his wrist in the firm grasp of the small writer.

"You're wrong," Ari said firmly, "She's mine." Dropping Theo's wrist, she grabbed Yumi's arm gently and pulled her to her feet. Still holding onto the dazed black-haired girl, Ari turned her back on Theo and he watched the two disappear into the forest, still stunned that anyone - _especially_ a girl - had stood up to him.

His jaw clenched and hatred burned anew in him. Slipping his hand into his left pocket, his fingers touched the cold steel, and he vowed revenge.

* * *

AN: There! I finally got it done! Lessa-13-2004 stole my notebook, so once she finishes with it I'll work on typing up the next chapter. I know Ari is very prominent in this chapter, and it was intended this way. The reason for this is she has found a friend in a place foreign to her so she's going to latch on, even if it means protecting another with her life. And... is there something else that's driving her? No, not love for Yumi, I don't mean that... Anyway, I hope you liked it! Review before you leave, thanks! 


	41. Escape!

AN: Okies, I'm back with another chapter! Lessa gave my notebook back so I could type up another chapter. Only, I've been sick lately so I couldn't get on the computer. Tonight's the Valentine's dance so I'll get this done quick then get all pretty. To answer a general question some people have been having, when Ari said Yumi is hers, she didn't mean hers in the way some of you are thinking. Ari said that because she knew Theo thinks of women as possessions, and he said Yumi was his. By saying that Yumi was hers, she was telling Theo that he couldn't have Yumi any more. Does that help clarify? Now, I'll answer some reviews!

JLyoko: What's driving Ari? See if you can figure it out. This chapter should help, I think.

Wind91Rider: You're close, but not quite right!

Ok, that's it for now! Read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

"C'mon, Yumi, we have to hurry." Ari tugged on the raven-haired girl's arm frantically.

"Where are we going?" Yumi complied and picked up the pace.

"Sh.. we don't want him to hear us... We're going the long way around to my cabin," Ari whispered furtively, ducking under a branch. The pair traversed the well-beaten paths in an attempt to leave no tracks. They hadn't gone far when Ari stopped them and held up her hand for silence. After about a minute's pause, Ari let her hand fall.

"Good, he isn't following us." Behind them, a twig snapped, then another. "Guess I spoke too soon! C'mon!" The girls dashed deeper into the forest, stopping when they reached the clearing they had rested in during gym. Again, they paused, listening for Theo. When they heard no activity behind them, they set a more leisurely pace with Ari leading. After about ten minutes, they had arrived at the edge of the forest. Ari peered through the bushes, taking advantage of the light from the full moon to search for Theo. When she was sure no one was waiting for them, they moved stealthily to the cabin that loomed in front of them. Yumi recognized the area... it was where she had fallen when Theo was leading her. Pulling her from her thoughts, Ari carefully twisted the doorknob and opened the door. It creaked slightly, and Ari stopped. The door had opened wide enough for the girls to slip inside, and the door clicked as Ari shut the door behind them.

"I have to get back to my cabin," Yumi whispered, trying not to wake the sleeping campers.

"No, you're staying here tonight. We have an empty bunk so you're sleeping above me. I'm not going to chance Theo going after you again tonight, which he definitely would do if you went back to your cabin.." Yumi saw the logic in this and begrudgingly took off her shoes and climbed up to the top bunk in the middle of the room while Ari took the bed beneath her.

"Ari?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for saving me tonight. He - he didn't hurt you bad, did he?"

"I'm fine, Yumi. Go to sleep now."

The strain from the past few days had taken its toll on Yumi, and she complied, falling asleep in minutes.

Rest was not found readily for the brunette, though, as the recent events played over in her mind and older, darker memories resurfaced. Finally allowing herself to give in to these emotions, tears spilled from her dark green eyes. Small sobs racked her body as she fought inner demons known only to herself. As the moon began sinking in the sky, exhaustion claimed the slender girl, and she was borne away to the land of dreams - and nightmares.

* * *

AN: Well, I don't think there's much for me to clarify. If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them in the next chapter. Well, I have to go get ready for the dance now! Review before you leave, thanks and Happy Valentine's Day (a little early)! 


	42. Now you see it, now you don't

AN: I combined two chapters for you today so it isn't quite as short. I'll go straight to the next chapter after answering a few reviews.

Eva-Freak015: Yumi's brother, Jin, does have a part to play with both Yumi's past and Ari's.

Little Vili : Ooo... you are sooo close. Can't tell you, though. :)

Tellemicus Sundance : Not Theo's last girlfriend. Think... Ari is a transfer from the US. She couldn't have gone out with him.

Well, that's all I'll answer for now. I feel like I'm giving stuff away... Well, as always, read, review, and enjoy! See you at the bottom!

* * *

"Why do you let him do this to you?" Ari expertly blended the concealor to hide the bruise on Yumi's left cheek before she administered to her own. 

"It's not like I have a choice." Yumi tilted her head as she looked in the mirror, making sure the bruise was completely hidden.

"You always have a choice."

"No. If I don't let him do what he wants he'll..."

"He'll what, Yumi?"

Yumi shook her head. "I can't tell you."

"I already know that he abuses you which we can do something about. We're going to the principal before classes."

"No, we can't!" Yumi's wide eyes showed a fear that surprised even the level-headed Ari.

"Why not?"

"I can't tell you." The raven-haired girl's voice pleaded with Ari, begging her to not take the topic any farther.

"So be it." Ari finished blending the make-up on her own left cheek and stood up. "You should go back to your cabin before the girls realize you're missing." Yumi nodded and left the cabin, buried deep in her thoughts.

As soon as she got back to her own cabin, filled with still sleeping young girls, she reached carefully under her bed and pulled out her blue-green journal and a pencil. And, by the light of the rising sun, she added another entry.

Tuesday, March 13

I am a terrible, terrible person. Not only have I put myself in danger, but my friends, too. One person has already been hurt because of me. Ari didn't deserve it, I did. If only I would have been able to get up and defend her... Now he's going to hurt her, too, to keep her quiet and there's nothing I can do about it. I tried breaking up with him, but that didn't work... I'm afraid that if I try again, he'll get even madder and hurt one of my friends. For now, I'll do as he says.

* * *

"What's going on here?" Principal Delmas shouldered past the students massed around cabin four. Reluctantly, a path opened for him, closing behind him so the students could get a better look. Once he entered the cabin, Principal Delmas drew in a sharp breath. All the cabin was neat and organized save one area. The space around the single bunkbed against the short left wall was a complete disaster. Papers and clothes were strewn on and around the bottom bunk, and the blankets on the bed showed signs of a struggle. 

"What happened in here?" Principal Delmas locked eyes with one of the cabin's young male residents.

"W-we don't know, sir. It was like this when we woke up. A-and he was gone," the wide-eyed, pale boy replied.

"Who is it, who's missing?" The principal's voice was low and urgent.

"Jeremy, sir, Jeremy's gone," the boy sobbed.

* * *

AN: That's it! I am soooo evil... 


	43. The Search

AN: I'm baaaack! Sorry it took so long, I wasn't able to get to a computer for a while! Most of you seem to think I'm evil... Just because I'm picking on Jeremy, or rather, someone else is... doesn't mean you have to hate me :-P I happen to love writing cliffhangers. This chapter is kind of short, but there's more coming soon if I can get to a computer.

Since most of you are in angry awe, I'll let you get straight to this chapter, so you can still be mad at me. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

It was a silent class that greeted Ari as she stepped into the Computer and Math Sciences classroom. Hesitantly, she walked up to the student-teacher's desk in front of the class. Each desk was outfitted with a state-of-the-art computer, and the student-teacher's desk was no exception. The class' supervising teacher, Mrs. Hertz, walked up to the front of the room. 

"Since Jeremy is unable to instruct you today, and I will be leaving shortly, Ari will be supervising you. Open your books to page ten and work drills until I return. The one who completes the most drills correctly will receive extra credit. You may begin." Mrs. Hertz watched the students apply themselves to their computers for a moment before she turned to Ari. "I'm leaving now to help look for Jeremy, as are the rest of the teachers. The students shouldn't need much help; they all know what to do."

Ari nodded and sat down in the computer chair that had previously been occupied by the now-missing blond genius. Mrs. Hertz left the room quietly and Ari moved the mouse of Jeremy's computer, turning off the swirling bars of his screensaver. She moved the pointer toward the internet icon, having every intention of checking her email when a small screen containing a pink-haired girl popped up.

"Good morning, Jeremy," the cheerful pink-haired girl said quietly. Ari stared in surprise at the small screen for a second, then closed it down. Geniuses and their start-up programs, Ari thought, rolling her eyes. Another program was running, and it looked like a scanning program. Cylinders would pop up, turn green, then another cylinder would come on to the screen. Minimizing that window, she opened the internet and went to her email.

* * *

"All math teachers and Jim, search the forest. All english teachers, scour the grounds. History teachers, search the lake, and science teachers search the cabins. Nurse Dorothy, you will need to stay on the grounds by me in case he's hurt," Principal Delmas ordered. The teachers left grimly to begin their tasks, all hoping to find the boy. Once they were gone, the principal walked back into the main cabin and sat down on a bench by one of the tables, Nurse Dorothy on his heels. 

"A missing student... this is unheard of, especially on the first night at camp! Jeremy's such a reasonable student, too. It wouldn't be like him to sneak off without letting someone know." Principal Delmas massaged his temples tiredly.

"I'm sure we'll find him. We have the whole staff out looking for him. But sir, I don't think he snuck off. Remember how his bed looked? I don't think he'd have thrown everything around." Dorothy sat down on a bench facing the agitated principal. "No one blames you for what happened."

* * *

"Any sign of him yet?" The burly gym teacher released the bush he had just searched behind and stood up straight, listening for an answer. 

"No, not over here," Mr. Mather shouted back.

"Jeremy... Jeremy!" Jim walked deeper into the forest, thoughts bouncing around wildly in his head. I wish I'd been nicer to him, Jim thought, c'mon kid, where are you? I promise I'll never make you do another push-up for as long as you live.

The math teachers also redoubled their efforts, searching for the missing boy.

* * *

Each science teacher searched a cluster of cabins. Mrs. Hertz was assigned cabins one through four. Her first three provided no clues, and she entered cabin four. 

"Jeremy? Jeremy, are you here?" she called softly, checking the top bunks and looking under each bed. When she got to the bed Jeremy had chosen, she picked her way carefully through the papers and clothes and knelt down by the bed. In order to look under the bed, she had to move the small pile of clothes that had been tossed alongside the bed. As she pulled away the last blue shirt, it revealed a pale, upturned hand.

* * *

AN: Ok, ok, this didn't _really_ answer any questions, but it did put in some emotions and thoughts and give a little bit of something for you there at the end. Now that you're all angry at me again, review on your way out. Thanks! 


	44. Discovery

AN: What lucky people you are! Since I was so terribly mean to you by giving you yet another cliffhanger, I decided to post another chapter. Before I get to your next chapter, I'll address a few reviews.

Ulrich's girl: Whoa, calm down! Everything'll be answered in due time. For now, this should keep you from dying of anticipation.  
Animegirl16: I'm sure it's still safe to go to camp... It's the people at camp, not the place itself that's doing this. "Stupid Ari" wants to let you know that she resents being called stupid and the very thought that she would team up with the likes of Theo, Dirk, Clayton, XANA, and the others. She wanted me to tell you that. :P  
Wind91Rider: You're right, that was another transition chapter, but it also served the purpose of showing the staff's thoughts and giving them a bit more of a human personality. The good stuff is coming, trust me!  
Warior: Uh oh, wouldn't want you boycotting my fic.. At least read this chapter before you decide to boycott it, ok? You might change your mind.

Ok, that's about it for now. I've had quite the time reading your reviews and getting feedback, mainly people telling me I'd better not let Jeremy die or that I'd better update soon or I'll get "keeled" (courtesy of Star Way). So, before I get "keeled," here's your next chapter! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

"Tell me again how you found him," Principal Delmas said, seating himself across from the shaken physics teacher.

"H-he was on his back under the bed. His right hand was sticking out from under the bed, and his left rested on his chest, clenched. When I pulled him out, I opened his hand and this leaf was inside it." At this point, Mrs. Hertz handed Principal Delmas the dried, tiny, saw-edged leaf that looked as if it might crumble at any moment.

"Do you know which plant it belongs to?" Principal Delmas asked, holding it delicately.

"I'm not sure, but I can check when I get back to my classroom. Ari's in there now, I left her in charge."

"You may go back to your class now, Suzanne, and you might want to find yourself another student teacher until Jeremy is up and about again."

"How is he?"

Principal Delmas leaned back in his chair and relaxed a bit. "He will be fine, just a bump on his head and a few bruises. For all we know, he could have fallen out of bed and rolled under it. He's still unconscious so Dorothy is watching over him in the sick bay." He twirled the leaf stem in his fingers carefully, spinning the leaf. "That still does not explain this, though."

"Maybe once we know what it is we'll understand." Mrs. Hertz stood, taking the dried leaf gently from him.

* * *

"You can read the rest of the time," Yumi said setting the pile of finished assignments on her desk. Sitting down wearily at her desk, she pulled a stack of papers closer and started correcting them. Her mind was not on the assignment, though; it was on Jeremy. What happened? Where is he? Is he ok? A small wave of fear passed through her as she remembered how angry Theo had been the night before. 

The door to the classroom opened, breaking her out of her thoughts for the moment. Mr. Hyonin closed the door quietly behind him and walked over to Yumi.

"Did you find him?" Yumi whispered, wanting to know, yet dreading the answer.

"Yes, and he's fine. Unconscious, but fine," Mr. Hyonin replied.

"May I go see him?"

"Go ahead, I'll watch the class for the rest of the period."

"Thank you, sir." Yumi's chair scraped on the wooden floor as she pushed it back hurriedly. Within moments, she was in the infirmary. Yumi rushed to Jeremy's side, brushing past the nurse in her haste. She breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed he seemed to be sleeping calmly. His blond hair was tousled and a faint scratch was noticeable on his right cheek.

"Yumi, what are you doing here?" Nurse Dorothy asked.

"Mr. Hyonin said they found Jeremy, and I was worried so I came to see how he was doing. Can I stay with him for a little while?" Yumi looked at the nurse hopefully and was rewarded with a small smile from Dorothy.

"You may stay until it's time to go to your next class. There's a chair over there you can use." Nurse Dorothy pointed to a padded metal chair by the far side of the room and Yumi obediently trotted over to it and lifted it up. The chair was heavier than it looked, and her stomach muscles that had taken the abuse before now screamed in protest as she carried the chair to Jeremy's bed. Yumi did her best to ignore the pain and set the chair down by the head of the bed. Seeing that Yumi was comfortably situated, Dorothy went back to the small space that was her office to record the accident report.

Name: Jeremy Belpois  
Date: March 13, 2005  
Injuries: Small scratch on upper right cheek, large bump on back of head, concussion, and other small bruises  
Cause of Injuries: Unknown at this time. It is believed the student fell out of bed, hit his head, and rolled under during the night.

"Jeremy, can you hear me?" Upon receiving no response from the still-unconscious boy, Yumi leaned back in the chair, moving into her own thoughts. What happened to Jeremy? Do I really want to know? My intuition tells me it was Theo, but he wouldn't _really_ hurt any of my friends, right? If it was Theo who did this, I'll never forgive myself, never. I wish he'd wake up so we could find out what happened. This is all my fault, I just know it... Yumi's head bowed, and tears coursed down her cheeks for her injured friend.

A firm hand came down on Yumi's shoulder, bringing her out of her silent sorrow.

"He's going to be ok," Ulrich's gentle voice said reassuringly as he moved to stand at Yumi's right side.

"It's not that..." Yumi looked at the floor, afraid to tell Ulrich what she believed had happened. What if he hates me for it? Who am I kidding, he should hate me for it. I hate me enough the way it is, why not add more? "Ulrich, I think I know what happened to Jeremy." Yumi's voice was so quiet that Ulrich had to lean closer to hear it. "I-I think that -"

Just as Yumi was about to confess Theo's supposed role in the recent events, the bell rang and the nurse entered the sickroom, shooing the two out.

"What were you saying, Yumi?" Ulrich shut the door quietly behind them, and then they started walking toward the front lawn, where the P.E. class was meeting.

Yumi opened her mouth to continue, then had a change of heart. "Nothing, just forget about it." Ulrich looked at her strangely, then shrugged.

"You and the rest of the girls might want to go get your swimsuits because we're going swimming in the lake today." Ulrich headed over to the slowly growing group of P.E. students to pass on the message as Yumi headed to her cabin.

* * *

AN: The End. NOT! We still have about... a million and a half chapters to go! Well, at least 6 for sure. I have some of them written, but I didn't go in order so I have to go back and write chapter 46. I'll try to update soon. Review before you leave, thanks! 


	45. Playtime

AN: Geez, this took me forever! I'll go straight to the chapter after answering a few reviews.

Jlyoko: You'll have to wait to find out...

Animegirl16: Ari accepts your apology :P

Funarahi: Funny thing being abused will do to you.. makes you timid and scared...

Ok, now to the chapter! I tried to make it longer for you guys. It's a little bit of fun after all the bad stuff that's been going on. Don't worry, I still have the plot firmly in mind. This chapter also helps get some feelings in the open, sort of. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

"Ok, who doesn't know how to swim?" Ulrich looked over the class and was pleased to see only two hands raise. Nine-year-olds Abby and Jason bashfully lifted their hands higher, not sure if he had seen them.

"Jason, you come with me," Jim boomed, walking up to the group, sporting his black Speedo (AN: trust me, I didn't want to put that... I can't even stand the thought! It's not my fault he's weird..). "The rest of you listen to Ulrich and no horseplay." Ignoring the giggles of the group, he clamped a hand on Jason's shoulder and led him to the shallows while Ulrich took Abby and the rest of the group to another part of the lake.

"Abby stays with me, the rest of you jump in." Ulrich beckoned to Abby and the brunette walked shyly to the edge of the water, nervously twisting a strand of her red hair in her fingers.

"Am I in trouble cuz I don't know how to swim?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the sand.

"No, if you want, I can teach you a little bit," Ulrich offered, looking down at the girl. This made Abby brighten up, and she looked up at him, her face wreathed in smiles.

"I'd like that," she said, holding out her hand to Ulrich.

The sudden change in the girl's demeanor startled him, and he stared at the proffered hand before snapping out of his daze and taking her hand carefully in his own. Seeing the jealous stares of her female classmates, Abby stuck her tongue out at them, excited to have the handsome soccer player to herself. Her pleasure was short-lived, though, as Ulrich led her to where his group of friends, minus one, stood in the water. Odd was splashing water at Yumi, who was one of the jealous onlookers. The sun-warmed water lapped at the bottom of Ulrich's black swimming trunks as he led Abby farther into the lake. She squealed as the water touched her legs and immediately took a step backward. Seeing the problem Ulrich was having, Yumi put aside her jealousy and emerged from the water, he black one-piece swimsuit dripping.

"Come on, Abby, I'll be right here with you," Yumi said, smiling at the younger girl. The small redhead still looked hesitant but held out her left hand to Yumi. With the girl between them, Ulrich and Yumi walked slowly into the water, letting all of their bodies adjust to the lake's temperature. When the water was up to her waist, Abby started to get nervous and clung onto their hands tighter. The water was only halfway up on Ulrich and Yumi's hips, but they still stopped.

"Ready for your first lesson?" Ulrich asked lightly. Abby nodded slightly and the lesson began. Half an hour later, Abby was splashing with Jason in the shallows while Jim watched over them. Ulrich and Yumi swam over to where Odd was treading water in the deeper part of the lake. His back was to them and a mischievous look passed Ulrich's features. He brought his hands out of the water and indicated pulling something down. Yumi's eyes widened and she blushed. Instead, she made motions of pushing someone down, and Ulrich nodded in agreement. To keep their actions secret, they dove and swam under the water, coming up only when they were a foot behind Odd. At Ulrich's nod, they lunged forward at the blond boy, hitting him on the back and pushing him under water.

The force pushed all of them under water, but almost flipped Odd. His legs thrashed the air, and his purple swimming trunks stood out like a sore thumb. When everyone was finally righted, Yumi laughed at the surprised on Odd's face, and Ulrich just smirked.

"You know what this means..." Odd grinned impishly and dove at Yumi's left side. Upon contact, Yumi's eyes widened, and she drew in a sharp breath of water. Panicking, she floundered to the surface and, once she reached air, was the victim of a coughing fit. She struggled to stay afloat as she clutched her side, the pain almost unbearable, for Odd had unknowingly hit the side Theo had kicked and bruised the night before.

"You ok, Yumi?" Ulrich swam over to her side and put his arm around her waist to help her keep her head above water.

"Are you ok? I didn't mean to hurt you," Odd said, swimming up to her left side. Yumi nodded slightly, still coughing too much to talk. Between the two of them, they got her to a shallower part of the lake where her feet could touch. After a few more racking coughs, Yumi started to gasp in air, still hunched over slightly, holding her side.

"What's wrong?" Ulrich asked, concern evident on his face and in his voice.

"It's - nothing," Yumi gasped, trying to bring her breathing under control.

"It sure doesn't seem like nothing," Odd said, walking around to face her. "And look, there's something on your face." Before she could stop him, Odd reached forward and wiped the remains of the concealor off her face. Most of the make-up had washed off in the lake.

"Yumi, what's that?" The quiet calm of Ulrich's voice was unsettling, and when she looked him in the eye, she saw anger.

"It's... nothing, really Ulrich.."

"You're bruised, again. What's going on?"

"I told you... it's nothing."

From a few feet away, a pair of eyes meet Yumi's, and she looked down at the water guiltily. Ari shook her head sadly and went back to playing with the younger girls. Her concealor, too, had washed off and revealed her injuries. Because she was wearing a two-piece swimsuit, the bruises on her side were highly noticeable, especially against the hot pink of the suit. Yumi saw the marks on Ari and remorse coursed through her.

"Yumi, you're hurt and I want to know why. Please, maybe I can help." Ulrich's voice was so compelling that Yumi almost confessed her secret, almost.

"Please, just forget about it," Yumi pleaded, straightening up gingerly. The pain in her side had subsided and was now only a slight ache. "Let's do something else, ok?"

"I won't forget about it, Yumi. If there's something wrong, you should tell us. Trust us - trust me - like you used to." The tension was strong between the two when Odd chimed in.

"C'mon guys, we're missing all the fun," Odd said, tugging on Ulrich's arm. Ulrich reluctantly let himself be led off by Odd, and they were followed by Yumi, who had now recovered enough to go back into deeper water. The three splashed and dunked each other, careful to be especially gentle with Yumi. Toward the end of class, Yumi disappeared. Neither boy noticed, though, because they were too busy fending off each other. She was not far away; Yumi was treading water ten feet away, debating her next move, when she head someone swim up behind her.

"Why didn't you tell them?" Ari's voice was quiet but demanding.

"They don't need to know."

"Yes they do. If they know, they can help you. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for them. They care about you, Yumi. At least promise me you'll tell them if this happens again, ok? If you don't, I will." This was greeted by silence from Yumi. After a few minutes, Ari strove to break the silence and nudged Yumi and nodded at the boys with her head.

"C'mere, I have an idea." Ari grinned wolfishly and leaned over to whisper in Yumi's ear. A smile spread across Yumi's features, which was exactly the affect Ari was going for.

"Ready?" Ari prepared to dive and looked at Yumi, who nodded. Both girls dipped under the water and swam down seven feet, nearly the depth of that section of the lake. Above them were the boys. Yumi could tell they had found the right two because Odd's trunks stood out like a sore purple thumb. The girls then began swimming upward until they were directly below Odd and Ulrich. Each girl reached up and, in one swift moment, grabbed a boy's ankles and pulled down, which shot the girls up as the boys went down. Yumi and Ari took a quick breath of air and dove back down to help the boys to the surface. Yumi grabbed Ulrich's floundering hand and swam upward while Ari did the same for Odd. Ulrich got the idea and added his kicking to hers. Both pairs broke the surface at the same time. Odd and Ulrich gulped in air gratefully while Yumi and Ari laughed, remembering the looks of surprise on the boys' faces.

The kids continued to splash and dunk each other until the bell rang, and they left to change into dry clothes before lunch.

* * *

AN: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Let me know if you have any questions that AREN'T about when Theo will get his butt kicked, etc. lol See you in the next chapter! Remember to review before you leave, thanks! 


	46. Awake, Oh Weary One

AN: Another chapter for you! I've added a few changes to the way I do things. First of all, thoughts will now be in italics, unless marked otherwise. Single words, however, may still be italics and not be thoughts if the change is meant for emphasis. Secondly, this may be the last chapter for a little while. Prom is coming up and I'm quite excited and nervous. I promise I will not leave it unfinished, though! I am also going to try to put more pictures on my site, which can be found at www(dot)freewebs(dot)com/tia2370

Along with all of this will go my picture so you can see the lunatic whose work you read : P. Now to answer reviews! Hopefully I won't give too much away!

Watch It Fade: Thank you for the compliments! I make an effort to have my stories well written, otherwise, why write? Once I finish BCH, I am going to take a break from writing, then maybe start up a new story. - possible Code: Lyoko or Teen Titans or, if I'm feeling crazy, G Gundam.

The Violet Raven: I know it would have been funny if the girls had pulled down the boys' trunks, but I wanted to keep that part, at least, clean. : P I had considered it, as did Ulrich when he initially thought of pulling down Odd's trunks, but I decided it would be better if the boys did not appear naked in my story. At least, not yet. Also, I'll try to put in Ulrich and Yumi fluff later on. For now, I need to get the story progressing.

Kurio Samurai: You asked to be put in my story? Well, I don't put others in it often, though I do make a few exceptions every now and then. I don't know you well enough to include you, sorry.

Drafonis: The purpose of the camp is to give the students (ie Yumi, Ulrich, and Theo) a clean setting so they can interact better. It also gives me the license to create places for things to happen. I know things seem to drag on every now and then, and I'm trying to condense my scenes, but I don't want to lose the quality and detail that I love so much. I will make an effort to speed things along, though. I have some interesting chapters planned that will help that. I am honored to hear that BCH will be a story you think worthy of re-reading. In fact, once it's done, maybe I'll actually get around to reading it : P.

JLyoko: It seems you are not alone in thinking Odd and Ari will be a couple, but I am afraid you may be incorrect. I will say no more on the subject lest I need to eat my own words later : P .

Warior: I will try to get a back story on Ari created in the near future, but not right now. It is on my mind, however. Not many people seem too interested in what makes Ari tick.

Well, now that I've taken almost a page to reply to reviews, I suppose I'll let you read the chapter : P As always, read, review and enjoy!

* * *

With a small groan, Jeremy opened his eyes and sat up. Instantly, nurse Dorothy was at his side. 

"How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts a bit... what happened?"

"That's what I was going to ask you, Jeremy. You were found unconscious under your bed this morning. I was hoping you would be able to tell me how you got under there." Nurse Dorothy sat down on the chair beside Jeremy's bed, which had been put there previously by Yumi.

"All I remember is someone waking me up in the middle of the night - it was about 1 am, at least that's what my clock said when I glanced at it - then I don't remember anything after that."

"What about the leaf? Mrs. Hertz found a saw-edged leaf in your hand when she pulled you out from underneath your bed."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jeremy answered, shaking his head gingerly. Even the slight movement brought pain, and Dorothy saw him wince.

"You need to rest now after you take some aspirin," she said, standing up to get some of the medicine.

"When will I get to leave?" Jeremy asked, remembering his duty to Aelita, Lyoko, and the rest of the world.

"Tomorrow morning you can rejoin classes."

"Could I get one of my friends to bring me some stuff to work on so I can catch up?" Jeremy did want to catch up, but he really wanted his laptop.

"I suppose that would be alright. I'll have the message passed along to Yumi. For now, you need rest." Nurse Dorothy handed Jeremy two aspirin, a glass of water, and a few crackers. "You haven't had anything since last night so eat the crackers before you take the medicine." Jeremy nodded and a few minutes after he had taken the painkillers, he was asleep.

* * *

"Please take out the story plot you were supposed to have finished for today," Ari said, addressing her Creative Writing class. Odd and Ulrich pulled out their sheets, which bore a plot diagram and various markings along the diagram. Yumi opened her folder and took out her half-done assignment. Had she not met with Theo last night, it would have been finished. 

"What's your story on?" Ulrich asked Odd.

"Mine's a mystery," Odd replied. "The Mystery of the Missing Donuts!"

Ulrich chuckled. _We already know who would eat them so it's not much of a mystery._

"What about yourself?" Odd plucked Ulrich's diagram from the brunette and skimmed over it. "Action/Adventure samurai thing, huh? Well, you do know a lot about using a katana."

"What's yours about, Yumi?" Ulrich asked.

"It's.. not finished... It was going to be a fantasy of some sort... medieval romance I think." Yumi blushed slightly, knowing the boys wouldn't be interested in a love story.

"Hand your assignments to the person farthest to the right at your table, then that person will bring the papers to my desk," Ari said cheerfully. This meant Yumi was stuck bringing the papers up. Odd sat closest to the aisle, Ulrich was in the middle, and Yumi had chosen the spot closest to the window. Yumi stood up reluctantly and took the papers to Ari, placing her undone assignment on the bottom.

"Yumi, the nurse told me to have you pick up Jeremy's make-up work. He'll only have missed assignments in this class and languages. You can leave now to get his work. Here's a sheet for him for this class." Ari handed Yumi the half-sheet and smiled. Continuing in her quieter voice, she said, "Tell him to get better soon." Yumi nodded and left the creative writing room and headed to Languages. Though there weren't any students in the room, the teacher, Mr. Caventro, was at his desk.

(Please excuse my Spanish, I haven't taken it in a while so the accents and spelling might be off.)

"Perdóname, Señor Caventro," Yumi said politely, Necesito la tarea para Jeremy, por favor."

"¡Por supuesto! Un momento, por favor." Mr. Caventro ruffled through the papers on his desk and found his planner. Grabbing a clean sheet of paper, he wrote down what Jeremy would miss.

"I miss having you in class, Yumi; you're one of my best pupils. I tried to convince Mr. Delmas to have you teach my class, but he said Isabelle was planning to pursue a career in foreign languages. Maybe he'll let you teach for me next year." Mr. Caventro smiled at Yumi, and she smiled back.

"Maybe," Yumi replied. When he was done filling out the paper, he handed it to her.

"Adiós, Señor, gracias." Yumi left the Languages room and stopped to figure out what else she needed to get for Jeremy. _Well, I have his Creative Writing and Languages work... I should probably stop by Computer and Math Sciences and get his laptop. He'll probably want it right away, knowing Jeremy. _With this decided, Yumi headed toward Mrs. Hertz's room. When she arrived, the place was empty. The only sound was the hum of the dormant computers. Heading straight for the front desk, Yumi found Jeremy's laptop sitting closed beside the main computer on his desk. Knowing the desktop computer was constantly running a Lyoko scan, Yumi moved the mouse, stopping the screensaver. The familiar towers popped up on the screen, flashed green, then another tower replaced it. A small screen with Aelita's face popped up and text flowed across the bottom of it For secrecy reasons, and because they had nearly been caught by Ari, Aelita's words were converted to text, and any replies were made by typing into a small box. (AN: Like messenger programs.)

"Hello Yumi, where's Jeremy? I haven't seen him all day," Aelita said via type.

Yumi keyed in her response. "Hey, Aelita. Jeremy's in the infirmary. He was missing this morning, and they found him under his bed, unconscious. Don't worry, though, he'll be fine."

Aelita's face was lined with worry. "May I talk to him?"

"I'm bringing his homework to him, and I'll bring his laptop, too. How's everything on Lyoko?"

"Quiet... X.A.N.A. hasn't attacked for a long time. I'm afraid he's planning something big."

"We'll stop him," Yumi reassured Aelita, "X.A.N.A. hasn't been able to beat us yet."

"I hope you're right," was Aelita's uncertain reply.

* * *

AN: I hope you guys liked this chapter. The next one is still being written so it might not come for a little bit. See you then! Please review before you leave, thanks! 


	47. Security Breach

AN: Well, I had a great time at Prom and I'm ready to get back to work! I have another chapter handwritten and ready to be typed, but it might be next week before it goes into the computer. I didn't see any pressing questions in the reviews so I'll let you get right to the story! It's a little choppy, but I was trying to combine "mini chapters" As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

"I have called all of you counselors and teachers here tonight because I fear we have a small problem here at camp," Principal Delmas began, addressing the group. "It has been brought to my attention that students have been leaving their cabins in the middle of the night without escort. While we are in an extremely safe area, there is still the chance the students will get lost or injured. To solve this problem, the school board and I decided the best course of action is to have our most trustworthy camp staff patrol the campgrounds at night. Each pair will monitor the grounds for an hour and a half before the next two take over."

At this point, the principal pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket. "Tonight Isabelle and Darryl will go first, monitoring from 6:30-8 p.m. and meet up here at the mess hall where they will switch off with Yumi and Theo, who will patrol from 8-9:30. Then it will be Ulrich and Odd from 9:30-11. Mrs. Hertz and Jim from 11-12:30, Mr. Mather and Mr. Caventro from 12:30-2. Mr. Hyonin and Mrs. Rankly from 2-3:30. Nurse Dorothy and myself from 3:30-5 and Ari and Dirk from 5-6:30. If you notice anything suspicious, report to me immediately." Principal Delmas looked over the camp staff, pleased to see that none seemed to openly oppose the new security measures. "I thank you all for your assistance and bid you goodnight." Delmas walked from the front of the mess hall to the door, knowing it would soon be filled with hungry students. Even though supper was served earlier than at Kadic, 5:30 was still late enough for their appetites to be whetted. A few of the other camp staff members left, also. Principal Delmas wasn't the only one who realized it was almost time for supper. Odd's stomach let out a loud complaint, and the boy rubbed it and grinned.

"Time for supper!" Odd jumped up and got in line – first as usual.

* * *

"What's the matter, Yumi? Aren't you hungry?" Ulrich asked her quietly.

"Not really…." Yumi shoved the plate away from her and sighed, propping her head up on her hands. For once, Theo was missing, claiming to have tomorrow's class to prepare.

"What's wrong?" Ulrich persisted, hoping to get a straight answer from her.

"I just don't feel like eating," Yumi snapped, then recoiled from Ulrich and looked down at her plate. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Now that you mention it, I'm not that hungry either." Ulrich stood and dumped his plate in the trash, then left the mess hall.

* * *

"It's pretty quiet out there for now," Isabelle said, removing the ponytail holder that had captured her long, blonde hair. The newly released tresses tumbled down her shoulders, and she sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "I caught one of the younger girls trying to sneak out around 7, but nothing else since then." Darryl nodded in agreement and, true to his nature, said little.

"Did you guys stay together or split up?" Yumi asked.

"We stayed together at first, then split up later," Isabelle answered. Yawning, she made her way to the door. "Odd and Ulrich will relieve you two at 9:30. Good luck."

"Thanks," Yumi said as she, too, headed for the door. Theo and Darryl followed the girls, exchanging a good-natured nod as they parted ways.

"C'mon, Yumi." Theo turned and started walking to the first cluster of cabins. She obediently followed him, and Isabelle and Darryl left to return to their cabins and get some well-earned rest.

"We're finally alone now." Theo stopped and caught Yumi by the wrist as she walked past. "Let's finish what we started last night."

Before Yumi could protest, he has pulled her close. She trembled in his embrace, knowing it was futile to try to escape. A sob nearly escaped her lips as his mouth pressed down on hers.

* * *

"You go check the cabins, I'll look around the lake," Theo said as he released Yumi. Finally, Yumi's control shattered, and she turned away so he wouldn't see the tears that streaked her face. Mistaking her lethargic movements for reluctance to leave him, he called back to her as he set off. "Don't worry, I'll be back for more."

Yumi wrapped her arms around her stomach, as if to ward of unseen blows. Her shoulders were hunched, and her back shook with silent sobs. _I can't go back…. I won't go back to him. I don't think I can stand another ten minutes him kissing me.. If I would have pulled away, he would have gotten mad and hurt another one of my friends. I don't know that he hurt Jeremy, but I'm pretty sure it was him. I don't know what to do…_

"Yumi, is that you?" The door to cabin 7 creaked slightly as it was inched open. Yumi instantly identified the whisperer as Odd and stepped closer to the cabin as he eased his way out.

"Where's Theo?" he asked.

"Over by the lake." Yumi tried to wipe the tears from her face before Odd could notice, but the blond boy chose tonight to be observant.

"Something wrong, Yumi?" His hushed tones barely carried to her ears.

"It's nothing," she replied, the lie now coming naturally. In an attempt to distract him, she introduced a new conversation. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Just waiting for my turn to patrol with Ulrich. He's sleeping but I decided to stay up and listen to some new music Jeremy downloaded for me before we came. It's some good stuff, do you want to listen?"

"No, I should get back to checking the campgrounds. See you in a little while." Yumi walked around the edge of the forest.

* * *

Theo flopped down on the sand by the lake and stretched. _Yumi'll check everything, I'll just wait here for her._ The brown-haired boy laid on his back with his hands under his head. Had the night been clear, he would have been able to see a twinkling expanse of stars. Now that he was away from town, the peacefulness of the area started to settle in on him. His home life started to fade from his mind, and gentler thoughts reigned.

After twenty minutes of serenity, he became restless. As always, his hand ventured into his left pocket and touched his knife for reassurance. Tonight, he was alone and bored. Pulling the knife from his pocket, he admired how the occasional ray of moonlight played across the steel and ivory of the handle. In one swift, practice movement, he clicked the blade open, flipped it into the air, judged the correct time to catch the spinning blade, and recaptured the seemingly-living blade. Another flick of his wrist found it buried point first in the sand ten paces away, after it split a leaf cleanly down the center. Theo gave a small grunt of satisfaction as he stood up and went to retrieve the knife.

Once he polished the blade on his shirt until it fairly glowed, he closed it and laid back down on the sand. To pass time, he tossed the closed knife from hand to hand, putting a spin on it every now and then for variety.

"Theo?" Yumi had crept up on him while he was focused on the blade. He quickly tried to put it in his pocket, but unbeknownst to him, he had only gotten it partly in, and it had fallen out onto the sand. The movement of his body getting up partly obscured the knife, tiny grains of sand covering most of it.

* * *

AN: Ok, before any of you are going "AHH YUMI GOT RAPED!" Stop. She did not. That was the reaction when I ran this chapter by a few people. No one has been raped. I don't think anyone will be. Calm down. I will let you know if she did. For now, she has just been kissed and she does not like it. Now I'm going to get back to doing what I do best. Please leave a review before you leave, thanks! 


	48. Startling Revelations

AN: Hello again, my faithful readers! I have a challenge for you! As you might have noticed, this chapter doesn't have a title. It's up to you to choose one. The one who chooses the title I like best (and that fits best) will have this chapter dedicated to them! So, when you review, make sure to send in what you think would be a good title. Who knows, I might choose yours!

Good news! I am now out of high school (I graduate May 29th) so I'll have a bit more time to write. The next chapter is going to be pretty big, but I'll try to get it done soon, promise! Now to answer reviews... Not a whole lot of reviews this time...

JLyoko: Geez, you sure do have a lot of maybes! Maybe some of them are right! But then again, maybe some of them are wrong. You'll just have to wait and see!

Little Vili: I know, I feel sorry for her, too. Victims of abuse don't realize they have the power to stop it. They become so consumed by fear that they accept what's happening to them and think it's their fault. Perhaps someday Yumi will see the light... or someone will see it for her.

Now without further ado, here's the next chapter! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Once Yumi returned to her cabin, she changed into her pajamas, got ready for bed, then pulled out her diary. She laid down on the bed on her side, intending to write before she went to sleep. The pencil made it to her fingers and the diary was opened before sleep claimed Yumi, her deepest thoughts still roaming in her mind as she drifted into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

"I'll take this side of camp, you take the other," Ulrich motioned toward the area that held most of the cabins. The area he had indicated for himself included most of the classrooms, the lake, and the thicker part of the forest. 

Odd nodded in agreement and both boys headed in opposite directions.

* * *

As Ulrich made his last rounds of the night, he stopped by the lake. The moonlight shimmered in the near-still waters, and a small smile worked its way onto his lips. Checking his watch, he noted that it was only 10:30 - Odd wouldn't miss him for another half an hour. Walking around the beach, he let his shoes dig slightly into the sand, leaving his footprints for all to see. 

When he neared the spot he and his class had met the day before, he stopped and stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing at the slightly rippling waters. Something someone had told him about ripples tried poking its way into the back of his mind, and he attempted to draw it forward. There was a saying... what was it? Something about stones making ripples and the tiny waves continuing on in a huge chain reaction, all hinged on that one moment, that one pebble that started the ripples and disturbed the peaceful waters.

As Ulrich was contemplating this, he sat down on the sand, the scowled, standing back up. Rubbing his foot through the sand, he searched for the rock he had sat on. Just as he was about to give up, his foot hit against something and moonlight glinted off it. Bending down, he retrieved the object. What he had thought was a rock was truly a pocketknife, and a beautiful one at that. The casing was a well-polished silver, inset with a thin sheet of ivory, which had been polished until it fairly glowed. Tilting it to the light, Ulrich could make out some slight etchings on the ivory. Upon bringing the pocketknife closer to him, the carvings became clearer and Ulrich paled. Not wanting to believe his eyes, Ulrich looked again, hoping it had just been an illusion. No such luck. The casing of the knife bore a symbol - one that Ulrich dreaded. The intricate T that would have been beautiful to anyone else was horrifying to him. (Go to my site www(dot)freewebs(dot)com/tia2370and click on artwork.)

Curiosity overtook the boy and he carefully unfolded the blade. It, too, was made of a highly polished silver steel. The three inch blade bore markings along it - the stripes of a tiger. Ulrich's hands started shaking as memories of his dream came back to him. _This blade... that symbol... Yumi dying. I won't let it happen again, I can't let it happen again._ As he closed the pocketknife, the blade sliced the tip of his index finger on his right hand, drawing blood instantly.

"Ow!" Ulrich cried, shaking his hand to try to make the pain go away, as human beings will do. A few drops of blood splattered on the sand before Ulrich stopped shaking his hand. Instead, he blotted the blood against his pants and stuck the pocketknife in his right pocket, where it rested with his cell phone.

A sense of urgency gripped him and he ran to Yumi's cabin. Not wanting to disturb the campers, he peeked in the window, relieved to see Yumi sleeping inside. From his position at the window, he noticed her hands were clenched around something... It was his journal! A look of puzzlement crossed his features briefly as he wondered how she had found it and why she had taken it. Bewilderment switched to anger, though, as he realized that if she had taken it, she had probably read it, too. _It seems you can't trust anyone these days..._

Determined to get the book back, Ulrich snuck over to the door. As quietly as he could, he pushed the door open, taking off his shoes and using them to hold the door open. Tiptoeing across the room, he mentally muttered a stream of questions, all aimed at the sleeping Yumi. Once he was beside her bed, he stopped. Usually he would have brushed the strand of hair from her face or untangled her blankets and replaced them on her, but his mind was clouded with anger and hurt.

Ever so carefully, Ulrich removed Yumi's hands from the cover of the blue-green journal and lifted it from her. Satisfied that she wouldn't wake, Ulrich slunk quietly off into the night, retrieving his shoes from the door before heading back to his cabin.

* * *

AN: That's it! Kinda left you a cliffhanger, didn't I? I'll try to resolve that sometime this week yet. Remember to think up a title! Please review before you leave, thanks and see you next chapter! 


	49. Book of Secrets, Book of Pain

AN: It's ready, it's ready! The next chapter is here! Just so you know, all the stuff in ' ' is stuff pulled from the diary and stuff in _italics_ is thought. Also, the winner of last chapter's contest was Drafonis with the title: Startling Revelations. Congratulations! Now to answer reviews...

Drafonis: I don't typically put author notes in the text, but this time I did so the image wouldn't be skipped over. As you can see, I'm still using contractions. I'm in the habit of it and for now I don't think it's going to make too big of a difference. During my next story maybe I'll try it without them.

Luna: This does have a plot, the diary switch proves that. I'm just trying to get the plot moving without slapping you in the face with it. I like to be subtle.

Yumi-clone: Yes, the symbol, Theo's signature symbol, was in one of Ulrich's dreams.

Kulis: No, I did not edit it so the colors of the diaries matched. I had that planned from the very beginning. See? I do have some sort of a plot:P

Doggiegal: It was Yumi's diary that Ulrich thought was his.

Xandra: Ari will be staying for a little while, I think. I haven't made too many plans with her yet.

Well, that's it for answering reviews today! On to the story. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

It was barely an hour after dawn when a peal of thunder woke Ulrich up. Blinking a few times, he let his eyes adjust to the darkness before sitting up. Still agitated over last night, he pulled the journal from under his pillow and went to the bathroom, where he could write in peace without disturbing anyone. 

Seating himself with his back against the tub, he opened the book and was surprised to find that the writing was not his. _If it isn't my diary, whose is it?_ Ulrich flipped back until he was at March 2nd – that's when he saw it. Lyoko. Fourth word, 1st sentence. 'Another trip to Lyoko this morning.' _How did this person know about Lyoko, and how did they get there? Had we been careless? Had someone followed us and found out how to be transferred? _Normally, Ulrich wouldn't read the diary of another, but this was an emergency. His eyes skimmed the entry and he relaxed as he realized it was the journal of one of his friends – Yumi to be exact. _Look, there was the same flourish he had seen her use on all of her U's, like on his name right there_. Then it hit him – he had stolen Yumi's diary. His face flushed with embarrassment at his mistake and he shut the book. _Wait, did I just see my name in there?_ Curiosity started to outweigh embarrassment and he opened the diary slightly. Guilt crept into his soul and he shut the book, ashamed that he had almost read her secret thoughts. _Her secret thoughts that include me… It wouldn't hurt to just take a peek, right? And… something's wrong with Yumi and I deserve to know. If she won't tell me, maybe her diary will. After all, how can I help her if I don't know what's wrong? _Quelling his misgivings, Ulrich opened the diary once again and flipped to where he had first noticed a change in Yumi, March 1st.

'I only started dating Theo to make Ulrich jealous.' _What is she talking about? Why would she want to make me jealous?_

'Now I'm afraid that if I try to leave Theo, he'll get mad and hurt Ulrich. I can't let that happen, so I must endure.' _You don't need to be afraid for me, Yumi. I can take care of myself, and you, too. Now on to March 2nd…_

'After we found Aelita, we were attacked by six crabs. I destroyed the first two before I was devirtualized. Once I was back on Earth, I felt so lightheaded that I couldn't stand. I stayed curled up on the floor of my scanner, waiting for the warm blue light I knew would come soon. I had complete confidence in Ulrich. I didn't have to wait long, either.' 'I wish I could find a way to avoid going on our date.' _So that's why you didn't go back up to the supercomputer room after you were devirtualized… You didn't end up going on your date… You stayed with Odd and I, remember? Ok… now the next one.. Hey, it's still March 2nd, only the time says it's 11:32 p.m. Let's see what it says._

'Ulrich's mad at me.' _Wait a second, where'd she get that idea! I'm never mad at her. Well, at least not usually_.

'I wish he'd given me the chance to finish what I was saying.. And, I wish I could tell him the whole truth. The whole truth that I died inside when the Theo in my dream killed Ulrich. And that it isn't Theo I care about or want to be with. In fact, I wish I had never met Theo. Then maybe I wouldn't have ruined even the slightest chance of Ulrich liking me. Then maybe I wouldn't be afraid to go back to sleep for fear of seeing Theo. Then maybe I wouldn't wish the last part of my nightmare was real and I really was dead.' Ulrich leaned back against the tub completely shocked. _She likes me? He groaned softly and placed a hand over his eyes. I've been so stupid! Why couldn't I see that she was unhappy with him? That she likes me? All this time we've been lying to ourselves, but now Yumi's getting the worst deal because she's stuck with Theo, who she's afraid of._ Though he felt sick to his stomach and didn't want to read more, he turned the page to March 3rd.

'I don't know what's wrong with me… I haven't eaten anything since supper on Thursday. Maybe I'll try something later.' _I knew she wasn't eating much, but I didn't know she wasn't eating at all. Maybe that's why she looked so weak the night she stayed in my dorm…_

'It would be so much easier if I could tell Ulrich what was going on. But, Theo warned me and this time I'm going to work things out by myself.' _You can always tell me. And, what do you mean Theo warned you? Is that why you left so quickly that morning?_

'Too bad I can't go to the dance with Ulrich. Before Theo came, I probably would have gone with Ulrich.' _I knew it!_ "I wonder why he kissed me this morning.' Ulrich blushed and touched his lips, remembering the contact. 'Does that mean he really likes me?' _Yes._ 'I'm confused. Sometimes he acts like he cares, but others it's like I don't exist.' _Don't exist! Of course you do! You're all I can think of sometimes, and my grades reflect that… Now March 5th._

'First my boyfriend hurts me, then at the dance he forbids me to talk to my best friend.' _He hurt you! When I get my hands on him the only thing he'll be hurting is soft foods! I can't believe this! Yumi, why didn't you tell me? I can protect you, I swear he'd never hurt you again._ 'Imagine my delig- I mean surprise when I woke up in Ulrich's arms._' I was surprised, too, but happy. _Ulrich dwelled on the memory for a moment longer, then read on. 'After Odd saw us kissing and Ulrich and I separated, I checked my cell phone and found a text message from Theo.' _I knew it! _' "Meet me in the park – alone." ' _So that's why you left so fast… _'When I got to the park, the first thing Theo did was insult and yell at me. That I could take, but not what came next. He hit me.' _What!_ 'Then he grabbed onto my arm. I would have fought back, but I was so surprised by what had happened that I couldn't defend myself.' _Yumi, why? You shouldn't be around a jerk like him. Why didn't you tell me what was going on?_

'Theo had seemed so nice in the beginning.' 'I guess that's why I chose him when I wanted someone who'd make Ulrich jealous. That and he looked a bit like Ulrich.' _He does not! Well ok, maybe a little. _'His hair and clothes were different, but their faces were similar. And, if you look closely, you can see they both have the same distant, almost sad, look in their eyes.' Ulrich resisted the temptation to look in the mirror and went back to reading. 'That's what drew me to Ulrich in the beginning.

The first time I saw Ulrich was when I made my first trip to the park after moving here. If the wind hadn't tousled his hair, I doubt I would have seem him at all, for he was sitting on the far side of a wooden bench, staring at the fountain.' 'The brown-haired boy sat on the second bench to my left and I was given only a profile vision of him. His head was tilted down and his eyes closed; it was almost as if he was asleep. With his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped, he was drawn into himself. Or at least, that's how it seemed. I broke the hold he had on me and continued my trip to the fountain.'

_That's when I first saw you… I heard you walk by and watched you through half-closed eyes. I had only seen you from the back, but I knew you were beautiful. I was about to go up and welcome you… well, actually for the first time in my life I was shy… Anyway, from the corner of my eye I saw Kiwi bound past, followed by Odd. Seeing that the dog was on a collision course with Yumi, I shouted out, hoping to warn you. My warning came too late, though, as Kiwi jumped up at you and knocked you into the fountain. I leapt up and ran to you and pulled you from the fountain, and I asked you if you were ok. You never did answer me… Then Odd came back and the introductions began. _Ulrich skimmed the rest of the paragraph, then moved on.

'After I didn't fight back, Theo threatened my friends and I. He said that if I fought back or told anyone, he'd hurt them and kill me.' Ulrich's blood turned to ice, and he almost dropped the diary. _That's why you wouldn't tell me, you were afraid he'd hurt someone. All this time I've been pressuring you, and you wouldn't tell me because you were afraid of what he'd do._

'I wasn't afraid for my life.' _You never are, Yumi, and that's what scares me._ 'I came up with a plan to tell Theo that I promised Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremy each a dance. I never did find Ulrich. He was the one I wanted to dance with most.' _I was hiding. If I had known about your plan, I'd have stolen you for the rest of the night._

'Then, when I went back to Theo after dancing with Odd, Theo told me I was supposed to stay away from Ulrich.' _That jerk! I knew he had been saying something to you to make you upset, but I didn't know that's what it was. You argued with him about it at the hospital, but I didn't make the connection until now._

'Anyway, after I left the dance, I remember running, then pain, then nothing until I woke up in the hospital. I have never felt so helpless. When I awoke, Ulrich filled me in on all the stuff I missed. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be able to take it in stride. But, most of all, I wanted to go back to a time before all this had happened. I wanted to be Yumi, a single member of the Lyoko gang.' _You don't have to be strong all the time, Yumi. That's what I'm here for. _'Then Theo came back while Ulrich was gone. He said he was sorry for what had happened before and promised to make it up to me. I felt sorry for him… What if it was just a one-time thing? I was ready to trust him again when Ulrich walked in and overheard Theo telling me not to be around Ulrich. Then things went downhill, and I had to make a choice. Even though Theo's my boyfriend, I knew I shouldn't let him rule my life so I sided with Ulrich.' _I wasn't sure if you were going to side with me at first. I thought you were going to agree with Theo._ Flipping the page, he saw a poem scribbled on the back of the March 5th entry.

Bondage

Locked inside  
afraid to speak  
frozen words  
I am so meek

freedom lingers  
beyond my touch  
I must be silent  
I know too much

through the hurt  
through the pain  
my tears stay hidden  
like frozen rain

Loving words hurt me  
I'm raw inside  
I want to scream  
yet am forced to hide

I struggle  
to break free  
After so many years  
I finally see

Tears of shock and understanding welled up in Ulrich's eyes, but he quickly blinked them away, flipping to the next entry on March 7th.

'Mom tried to keep me home today when she heard how the kids were talking about me. I'm starting to not care what they say about me, but I wish they'd stop talking about Ulrich. I heard one rumor that Ulrich hit me with the branch.' _Never! How could they think that!_ 'And another that he carried me all the way to the hospital.' _I would have, but an ambulance was faster._ The next entry wasn't until the 10th.

'Every day after class one of them will walk with me and chatter about something. With Odd, it's some prank, and after English, he confided in me about Sam. He said he wants to double date with me sometime because he's nervous about going out with Sam alone.' _Odd, afraid? That's new._ Ulrich read over the conversation and chuckled. Then skimmed down to where he saw his name, again.

'Another change since Saturday is Ulrich and I have been spending most evenings together. Either after classes or after supper, he comes to my house, and we either study or we plan strategies for Lyoko. The principal gave him a pass so not even Jim can stop him. The whole thing is almost creepy… it's like my dream from the hospital is coming true. Well, the strategy planning part of it, anyway. I hope the Lyoko part of my dream doesn't play out…. I'm afraid to go back to Lyoko.' Ulrich was shocked at this last statement. Of all of them, he considered Yumi the most level-headed. _You know I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you. Even so, Odd and I'll go to Lyoko during the next attack so you won't have to._ The last entry was from the first day at camp.

'I am a terrible, terrible person. Not only have I put myself in danger, but my friends, too. One person has already been hurt because of me. Ari didn't deserve it, I did. If only I would have been able to get up and defend her… Now he's going to hurt her, too, and there's nothing I can do about it. I tried breaking up with him, but that didn't work… I'm afraid that if I try again, he'll get even madder and hurt one of my friends. For now, I'll do as he says.' _So that's why you were all bruised up yesterday and wouldn't tell me why…. Now that I think about it, Ari had some bruises, too…_ Ulrich flipped through the pages, but he only saw a few pencil sketches – a few of him and his friends_. These are pretty good._

A loud knock on the bathroom door pulled him from the diary, and he stood up slowly, shutting the book. His mind was clouded with guilt, anger, and… love? His heart ached for Yumi and longed to see her to be sure she was ok. He absent mindedly brushed past the boy who was impatiently waiting outside the door. The other boys were starting to wake so Ulrich shoved Yumi's diary under his pillow, vowing to return it while she was out of her cabin.

After changing into his regular clothes, he pulled out his diary and added a new entry.

**March 14 – Wednesday**

**I feel so helpless, and guilty. Last night I looked in on Yumi to be sure she was ok, and I saw her holding a diary – one that looked exactly like mine! I snuck in and took it from her, and when I saw it was hers, I started to read it. I didn't want to, but something's been bothering her, and now I know what it is. Theo. I'm going to kill him. He won't hurt her anymore. If he lays a finger on her again, I swear I'll make him wish he was never born.

* * *

**

In Yumi's cabin, chaos reigned. The black-haired girl had practically turned the cabin upside-down in her search for a small blue-green book. Confused younger girls milled around and had joined in the hunt, not sure why it was important, but willing to help. Yumi was a generally well-liked counselor so the girls trusted this was important to her. So far, all they knew was that it was a blue-green book. Before they knew it, the bell rang, forcing the girls to go to class, the missing diary still at large.

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AN: Ooooo... I can't wait to see what you guys have to say about this chapter! And, that was my original poem, Bondage, just in case you were wondering where that came from. Make sure to ask any questions you have and I'll try to answer them the best I can (as long as it's not related to what's going to happen because I just can't tell you everything!) Leave a review before you go, thanks! 


	50. Trouble All Around

AN: I'm FINALLY back! It seems my muse left me for a little bit and work beckoned. After a short stint, I wrote more for you guys! I'm glad some of you liked my poem so much. Yes, I did write it. It wasn't originally for this story, but it seemed to fit well. Instead of being long winded, I'll get right to answering reviews.

Anime Bubbles: Glad you like BCH so much! I was quite appalled at Ulrich's nerve, also. I used to keep a diary so I know how mad you get when someone reads it!

Shadw: I think Ulrich should give the knife to the principal, too, but I don't think he wants to. We'll just have to see!

Little Vili: I knew you'd like that chapter! I wish I could have gotten to it sooner, but I had to have the other stuff in there that would lead up to the grand finale, which I hope will be coming soon! I've worked on this story for almost a year now!

Jlyoko: Yes, I really wrote the poem. It partially describes a darker part of my life.

Luna: I haven't decided yet how big of a role Ari will play. I don't want to make the story focus around her, but I still want her in it a little. As of right now, I don't see her joining the Lyoko part of the gang. Too many stories do that and in some of them it ruins the ACC and the story.

Ok, that about does it for answering reviews or it might get too long! On with the chapter! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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By 9:30, the storm had abated and had turned to only a light mist. The weather affected the students as the general mood was a tired and sluggish one. For the counselors who had patrolled, there was good reason for the exhaustion, and it was reflected in their teaching. In Yumi's class, a majority of the time was dedicated to reading and working on assignments. The last part of class centered around a discussion about various authors who used nature as a theme or muse.

"For tomorrow, write down five things in nature and five places that could inspire you," Yumi said in her best semi-teacherish voice. There was no protest to this assignment, for at Kadic the workload was at least three times as hard. Some students pulled out a sheet of paper to begin, but others chose to wait for the bell. They didn't have long, as soon as the bell pealed out, the students surged out of the classrooms. The P.E. students, especially, were looking forward to their next class. Gone were the laps around the track and endless push-ups. In their place was a variety of more pleasing activities. Today, it was canoeing.

Ulrich and Jim had already pulled the canoes out of the storage shed, and the 15 were sitting lined up at the edge of the lake, along with 32 orange lifejackets. Having already been forewarned of the day's activity, the students came already wearing their swimsuits.

The first ten minutes of class were spent selecting lifejackets and Jim and Ulrich checking the fit. once everyone was outfitted, Jim blew his whistle to gain their attention.

"Everyone ready? Good, Ulrich'll give you directions," Jim boomed.

"Um... thanks, Jim. Ok, everyone find a partner, and Jason and Abby come up to the front." The two younger students walked shyly to the front of the group while the others paired up. Before long, 14 pairs stood facing the lake. As to not waste any more time, Ulrich went through the group, assigning each pair a canoe. Once they were all standing beside a canoe, Ulrich realized there was a problem: they were a canoe short.

"Yumi and Odd, you'll come with Jim, Abby, Jason, and I. Everyone else grab a paddle, get in your canoe, and we'll push you off." After some brief instructions on how to operate a canoe, 13 of the small boats were floating in the lake.

Because Jason and Abby were not strong swimmers, they had to go with Jim and Ulrich along with a strong swimmer besides those two. It was agreed that Ulrich, Jason, and Yumi would use one canoe, and Jim, Abby, and Odd would take the other.

* * *

"Yumi, I'm sorry," Ulrich said after their canoe has been in the water for a few minutes. He couldn't see her reaction, for he had taken the front seat, Jason was in the middle, and Yumi was in the back.

"Sorry for what?" Yumi asked cautiously. She watched his back, his muscles moving beneath his skin as he paddled the canoe.

"I'm sorry I've been pushing you so hard... for being nosy... I'm sorry you won't let me help you."

Yumi's eyebrows raised up in surprise; this was not what she expected. Her face softened as she realized the remorse in his voice was genuine.

"It's not your fault," Yumi said softly, "This is something I have to do on my own."

"But I can help," Ulrich protested, turning his upper body around so he could see her. "You don't have to go through this alone. Theo may not care about you, but I do."

"What do you mean Theo doesn't care about me?" Yumi asked, attempting to sound shocked.

"Umm... who's watching where we're going?" Jason asked nervously. He knew there was an argument brewing and didn't want to be literally caught in the middle.

Ulrich snapped back around facing forward and his paddle bit into the water, steering them toward an emptier part of the lake. Yumi tried to match her strokes with his and thought on what Ulrich had said. _Why did he say Theo doesn't care about me? How much does he know?

* * *

_

Over in another canoe, Odd was having problems of his own.

"Abby, you might want to face forward," Odd said.

"But I don't want to," Abby whined.

"The view is better that way," Odd said, trying to tempt her into sitting the correct way.

"I think the view is _much_ better right where I am," Abby said with a grin.

Odd groaned inwardly as he realized that one of Ulrich's admirers had become his own.

"Stop bickering you two," Jim bellowed.

"Yes Odd, stop bickering," Abby said sweetly as she tried to scoot closer to the blond boy.

* * *

"Jeremy, time to get some rest."

"Yes Nurse Dorothy, just let me finish this program."

"Alright, but hurry up."

"Jeremy, something's not right here in Lyoko," Aelita typed.

"What do you mean?" Jeremy replied via type.

"There are no pulsations, but I have this bad feeling; it's like XANA is waking up and planning something terrible."

"Do you want me to send someone to you?"

"No, there's no danger, at least not yet. We don't want to send anyone until it's necessary," Aelita replied.

"Are you sure? I could send Odd to check it out."

"Jeremy, I thought I told you to rest," Dorothy called.

"Yes ma'am," Jeremy called back to her. On his laptop, he typed, "Have to go, I don't want to get caught. Take care and let me know as soon as anything happens."

Before she could reply, Jeremy logged off and shut down the computer. After laying down and pulling the covers up, he laid his left hand on his laptop, still warm from recent use, and fell asleep.

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AN: Hope you guys liked it! Please leave a review before you go, thanks! 


	51. An Almost Cry for Help

AN: I am finally back! After forever, I finished the newest chapter. I apologize for the wait... July was one of my busiest months with vacation and work, not to mention a boyfriend who makes promises then breaks them. Anywho, I'll be starting chapter 52 soon and will try to finish it before I move into college on the 17th. I am working on one of the later, more dramatic chapters on the side. It'll be one of the ones I know a lot of you are looking forward to, though Theo will not get his just desserts in that one. It will lead up to it though. I'll stop hinting now before I drive you all crazy and get to answering reviews.

NeoDude: You're right, the end is near! Possibly still 10 chapters off, but I'm not sure.

Funarahi: There may be a little XANA action coming up, but I'm not sure. XANA isn't the main focus in this story, but I do want to keep it Lyoko related. I also don't like that Yumi is acting so weak. I did a little research on abuse when I started and right now she is displaying some of the typical signs. One of the ones that I played up on was meekness when confronted. She'll start to return to normal soon, I hope.

YAY! I don't know if you guys realize this, but Behind Closed Hearts is now **1 year old and still going strong**! It's all thanks to you guys, my wonderful readers and reviews, that all of this was possible. This chapter is dedicated to all of you. I'd list you all, but that might take me a while and I know you want to read more so... without further ado, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Though he had vowed to return Yumi's diary as soon as possible, Ulrich felt as though he should hold on to it. Guilt overcame him, and, in the end, he decided he'd give it back while Yumi was patrolling the grounds tonight. Until then, he decided he would keep quiet - even Odd wouldn't know he had read it.

"Are you going to eat that?" Odd asked, breaking into Ulrich's thoughts.

"Hm? What, my chips? Go ahead, I'm not very hungry," Ulrich replied.

"First Yumi, now you. What's up with you two?" Odd asked, bewildered that anyone could not feel like eating. "You sick, Yumi?"

"Leave her alone," Ulrich snapped. "If she doesn't feel like eating, that's her own business."

Both Odd and Yumi shot him surprised looks. Before, it was Ulrich pestering her, but now he was sticking up for her. Ulrich didn't notice these looks as he was avoiding looking at either of them and was instead focusing on his maid-rite. Inside, he was still beating himself up for being so blind to what had been happening to Yumi. When he finally looked up into her eyes, she was taken aback at the sorrow and raw pain she saw there.

"Odd, can you leave us alone for a few minutes?" Yumi asked quietly.

"Umm... ok, I guess...," Odd replied, perplexed. He looked a little hurt and confused as he picked up his tray and moved a few tables away to where Milly and Tamiya were sitting. The girls, who had been planning a new story about camp, stopped briefly to greet him, then went back to outlining. Not long after, Abby plopped down beside the blond boy.

Back at Yumi and Ulrich's table, Yumi still had not broken eye contact with him. In the end, it was Ulrich who looked away first.

"Ulrich, what's wrong?" Yumi asked, concern laced in her voice.

"I... It's nothing," Ulrich said, looking back at his sandwich.

"Please don't lie to me," Yumi pleaded.

"What makes you think I'm lying?" he asked, looking back into her eyes.

"You've never been able to lie to me, Ulrich Stern," Yumi said gently, smiling slightly. "And, I know quite a bit about lying, so you can't fool me."

"What have you lied about?" Ulrich asked, trying to sound as if he didn't already know the answer. Apparently he was convincing this time, as Yumi looked away instead.

"I - I haven't been very truthful lately," Yumi began nervously. "I've made some bad decisions.. and I'm in trouble, and I don't know what to do." Before she could get much farther, Jeremy sat down beside Ulrich, tray in hand.

"Hey guys," Jeremy said cheerfully. "Nurse Dorothy just let me go. Where's Odd at? We need to talk about you-know-where."

"Odd's over there with Milly and Tamiya," Ulrich said, nodding at the table the blond jokester was at.

"Why's he over there?"

"Yumi and I wanted to talk."

"Oh... sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt..." Jeremy's face reddened slightly.

"It's ok, I'll go get Odd," Ulrich said, standing up.

About five minutes later, Jeremy had quietly explained the situation on Lyoko.

"So let me get this straight... There's nothing wrong in Lyoko, but there probably will be soon," Ulrich said.

"That is correct," Jeremy replied.

"I volunteer!" Odd said enthusiastically.

"But Odd, we don't need anyone to be there right now," Jeremy said patiently.

"Are you sure?" Disappointment laced his voice. Though he wouldn't admit it, Odd was starting to like Aelita and Lyoko more than Earth. When he had realized it, he had vowed not to act on his feelings. He knew that Aelita and Jeremy were in love, even if they wouldn't admit it.

"Positive. No need for any of you guys to risk your lifepoints while Aelita's still safe. I'll let you guys know the second anything changes in Lyoko." At this, the bell rang, ending lunch, and the friends went to the only class they had together that afternoon: English and Creative Writing.

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AN: Well, that's it for this update. Thanks again to all of you awesome people out there that motivate me to write more (that's my readers and reviewers). If you have any questions or comments, make sure to post them in your review and I'll do my best to answer them (as long as they aren't: Will Theo get his butt kicked? What's going to happen? Will Yumi die?). If you could be so kind, please leave a review on your way out! Thanks! 


	52. Ownership

AN: Ok guys! I finally took some time off of doing my homework to give you guys another chapter (though I have a 5-7 page paper to work on, too!). Sorry it took me so long this time! I promise these next few chapters should be heating up a little. Not only have I hit the **800 review mark**, but also we're getting closer to the end, I can feel it! This is a slightly shorter chapter, but it helps move things along. I'll answer reviews, then let you at it!

Fariegirl270: Whoa! I'm glad you like BCH! Miss best fanfic writer of 2004-2005, hm? You've done a pretty good job of buttering me up!It helps when people go more into depth than just a few words. Hopefully I can keep up the quality you are used to!

Kodra: I will be working on developing my main ACC, Ari, in later chapters. Darryl, Isabelle, Mr. Hyonin, etc. will probably not be brought into play much more… they're mainly functioning as extras. Jin will hopefully be playing more of a part in the story, provided G-force doesn't mind helping out a little more. I really appreciate the suggestions you made in your review. I didn't realize that I relied so much on dialogue and I will try to use more description in later chapters.

Ulrichfangirl: BCH was started July 10th, 2004. Seems like forever ago!

I.E.T.S.: I'm glad BCH motivated you! Sometimes I wonder if my writing is just for the pleasure of other people, but hearing that it has helped you makes me feel better about writing it.

Tellemicus Sundance: Actually, I didn't read 'A Change in Feeling.' From the show, I just noticed Odd's slight attraction to Aelita over the course of Season 1 and decided to play on it a little bit, though that might be the only time I mention it.

Drafonis: Good to see you reviewing again! I like to leave the "what ifs" open just in case I want to go that route. Every now and then it comes in handy. Plus, it gives the reader something to play with when I'm not able to update. Don't worry about my study habits! I am planning on passing all my classes ;)

Ok.. That was a lot of reviews.. You guys are just that good! Before I let you get to the chapter, I want to send out a **HUGE thank you to G-Force 4**. He's been a great help in getting me inspired and with seeing Season 2. You guys seriously have him to thank for this chapter. Ok, now without further ado, chapter 52! Read, review, and enjoy!

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For the rest of the day, Ulrich stuck by Yumi as often as he could. When the patrol schedules went out, he was happy to see that the pairs had been switched. Ulrich and Yumi were scheduled to patrol from 8-9:30 p.m. and Odd went out with Ari from 9:30-11 p.m. Theo and Jeremy weren't scheduled to patrol for that night.

After supper, the student counselors went back to their respective cabins to try to get some work done or sleep before their shifts. Yumi spent most of her time searching for her missing diary. As the night wore on, she was increasingly worried that one of the girls in her cabin had taken and read it. Once night had fully set in, she was certain it was one of the girls and took to scowling at any of them that came too close. By the time she left to patrol, the girls were all in their beds, avoiding her accusing glare.

Ulrich waited in the mess hall for her, chatting idly with Darryl, who had just finished up his shift with Mr. Hyonin.

"Well, Yumi's here so I'll let you two get started," Mr. Hyonin said as Yumi stomped in.

"Uh… is something wrong?" Ulrich asked as the two stepped out into the night air.

"It's nothing… I just think that the girls in my cabin took… something important to me," Yumi said angrily.

"What is this something?" Ulrich asked, trying to keep his face expressionless.

"Just something important!" Yumi fumed.

"Ok… you don't need to snap at me," Ulrich said quietly, putting his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry, it just bothers me… The thing they took was private, and I really want it back," Yumi said apologetically, looking at the ground. "Maybe it'd be best if I look around for a bit by myself. Maybe I could cool down my temper that way."

"Are you sure? I can just be quiet while we walk if you want." Ulrich knew she needed the time to collect herself, but hated letting her go into the dark alone.

"Yeah… I'll go around by the cabins… How about we meet by the lake dock in 45 minutes?"

"Ok, call me if you need anything… See you at 8:45." Ulrich walked off toward the forest behind the mess hall and classrooms. As he turned from Yumi, who was heading toward the boys' cabins, his hands dug deeper into his pockets, and the fingers on his right hand brushed warm steel.

After throwing a quick glance behind him to be sure Yumi was truly going the other way, Ulrich pulled it out of his pocket slowly. The moonlight glinted menacingly across the casing, sending a shiver down his spine. Even though he hated it, the knife still intrigued him, and he carefully unfolded the blade. In the moonlight, the stripes along the blade seemed to shift. By now, Ulrich was by the last classroom building in the row.

"Pretty little trinket you have there," a voice behind him said darkly.

The brunette whipped around, the knife held in front of him defensively. "Who's there, show yourself!" Ulrich said, his heart pounding.

"The rightful owner of that knife, who'd very much like to have it back," Theo said, stepping out from the shadow of the building.

"What makes you think I'm going to give it back to you?" Ulrich spat, still holding the knife in front of him, ready to strike if necessary.

"How do you think it would look to Yumi if she looked back and saw you fighting against me with a knife?" Theo asked softly, danger in his voice.

"Fine," Ulrich spat, snapping the knife shut. It only took two steps to cover the distance between the boys, and as Ulrich stood face-to-face with Yumi's tormentor, a fresh wave of hate coursed through him.

"Here's your knife, now leave Yumi alone. She doesn't want you, she never has. She hates you, Theo! And so help me God, if you lay another finger on her, I swear you'll regret it," Ulrich snarled as he dropped the knife so it landed at Theo's feet. Turning around swiftly, he started off around the building, knowing that if he hadn't left, he would have started a fight. As much as he wanted to kill Theo, he knew it was out of the question. Though a different night, a different time… then he'd be able to show Theo what happens to people who hurt his Yumi.

His mind still seething, he started for the edge of the forest that was closest to him. Because the entire camp was encircled by trees, he figured walking around the edge would be sufficient to check the area. Ulrich had just reached out his hand to touch one of the trees when he heard footsteps behind him. Before he could turn around, pain exploded in the back of his head, and he saw no more.

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AN: That's it! I have a couple of ideas for the next chapter so next time there's a lull in my homework I'll get them started. I hope you guys liked this chapter! Let me know if you have any questions when you review, and I'll do my best to answer them in the next chapter's author note, or if you have a question I haven't answered, shoot me an email. Please leave a review before you go, thanks! 


	53. Revenge?

AN: Eeep! Has it really been this long since I've updated? I'm soooo sorry! I've been trying to write but things like college, a recent heartbreak, and slight illness have hampered my progress. Girls, remember this… BOYS ARE EVIL! Sorry guys… I had to warn them.. When so many of you (meaning guys in general) have hurt me, it's no surprise I'm a bit… unhappy with you all :P No worries, most men are ok, there's just that select few…. Since I can't answer reviews in the author note, I'll answer a few general questions I've received. First, Ulrich gave back the knife because it truly wasn't his property and it'd be better for Theo to be found with the knife than Ulrich. Also, Ulrich went down without a fight because he was caught completely by surprise by his attacker. Ok, I won't make you wait any longer… CHAPTER TIME! Read, review, and enjoy!

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By the time Yumi had checked majority of the cabins, her temper had cooled considerably. The last cabin that needed to be checked was Ulrich's. A quick glance in the window confirmed that all was well with its occupants. Yumi turned away to head to the girls' cabins, then froze. _Could it have been?_ Spinning back around, she pressed her face against the glass and looked at Ulrich's bed. Eyes narrowed in anger, she stormed over to the door and was barely able to keep from throwing it open. It took all of her self-control to open the door quietly and sneak inside rather than stomp in. Creeping up to Ulrich's bed, she eyed her prey: the slim blue-green journal. Lifting it from its resting place half-hidden under the blanket, Yumi snuck back out, her mind seething.  
_  
How could he? Why would he? I thought I could trust him! _Hot tears of shame and embarrassment welled up in her eyes as she realized what Ulrich must all know now since he had read her diary. _Is that why he's been acting differently today? Maybe he really does care… No! If he cared, he wouldn't have stolen my diary and invaded my privacy! I will never forgive him for this._

Yumi checked the rest of the cabins, her pace an angry stride, and she decided she wasn't going to meet Ulrich at the lake dock. Instead, she prowled the camp until her patrol was over, then reported to the mess hall, where Odd and Ari took over.

"Where's Ulrich?" Odd asked as she walked in.

"Probably already went back to his cabin to invade someone else's privacy," she spat, still fuming.

"Oh… ok," Odd said, confused.

Yumi stormed out of the mess hall, the slim journal still clenched in her left hand. It took a lot of her willpower to keep her from slamming the door to her cabin as she entered. Deciding to document this day, she pulled out her flashlight and a pen and opened the journal. Her eyes skimmed the last few lines of the previous entry, and the pen dropped from her limp fingers and hit her bed. The handwriting… the words… this was not her journal. Yumi's cheeks flashed scarlet as she realized that she had done what she was mentally accusing Ulrich of doing.

_I should return it before he notices. But wait… the last entry… he talks about reading my diary! It's only fair, then…_

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AN: I know it was short.. But it was something! Finals week is coming up so I might not update again until Christmas break. Happy holidays, everyone! Please leave a review before you leave, thanks! 


	54. Inside the Book, Inside the Mind

AN: Ack! I'm am very very very sorry about the lack of updates! Please forgive me -- Between finals and relationship things, I haven't had much time to write. Hopefully I'll be able to find more time once the semester ends, which is in about two or three weeks. Also, BCH has reached a milestone! 1000 reviews! Lord Ryu had the 1000th review. And now, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to someone very special to me, who is part of the reason you guys got an update (he isn't as far as you guys on the story, but he still follows it). This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful boyfriend! And now, read, review, and enjoy! (And try to forgive me for making you wait so long!)

Like before, thoughts are in italics, excerpts are inside the ' '

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Flipping to the first time she and Theo were mentioned as a couple, Yumi scanned Ulrich's scrawl. 

'I was angry when Yumi chose him over me.' _Well, I was trying to make you jealous, I guess it worked…_ Yumi's eyes skimmed the next few pages that talked about a Lyoko mission until she got to the entry that was written the night she slept over.

'Then, when we kissed, it was one of the most amazing things that ever happened to me. Even more awesome than going to Lyoko for the first time.' _Yeah… I'd have to agree, it was pretty amazing… I think I'd give up going to Lyoko if I could have just one more kiss…_

'I can't help but have a bad feeling about my nightmare last night.. The image of Yumi being beaten then cut by Theo won't leave my mind. Why couldn't I help her? I was trying so hard, but I couldn't move a muscle. In the end, I couldn't save her. She died in my arms, and I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't even get a chance to tell her I love her before she died.' _Tell her - I mean me - that he l-loves me? I didn't realize he cared so much.. I shouldn't have played with his heart, I should have been honest with him and told him how I feel. What if it's too late now? What if I've caused too much damage? No! Tomorrow - tomorrow I swear I'll tell him everything… my feelings for him, what's happening with Theo, everything! It can't be too late.. I'm sure he'll forgive me… I hope he will…_

Turning the page, she read the next entry, which was dated March 5th. 'I feel bad for Yumi… Lately, a lot of bad stuff has happened to her. The worst probably was her starting to date Theo. Well, actually that's bad for me, not her.' _Why didn't you speak up? I waited for you to free me from him, all this time I was starting to think you didn't care about me at all._

'On Saturday night, I stayed hidden after I helped Samantha find Odd. I wanted to talk to Yumi and dance with her, but I couldn't - not with Theo there. I bet anyone could have danced better than him. He was clumsy, and his movements didn't match Yumi's. He was a bad dance partner. He didn't even watch to make sure no one would bump into her like I used to do. Then, when he didn't go after her when she ran out of the dance, I had had enough. I followed him to his dorm and questioned him. It didn't get me anywhere. All he did was make me mad - no, not mad… more like furious. If I hadn't left then, I probably would have punched him.' _No wonder I couldn't find you that night… You were the only one I was looking forward to dancing with. Right like usual, Ulrich, Theo was a terrible dance partner. I can't even count the number of times he stepped on my feet or bumped into me. Even Jeremy was a better dancer than Theo… I didn't notice you followed Theo when I left the dance. Had I known that, I would have stayed back to try to stop you. Theo is my burden, not yours._

'Since he didn't go after her, I did. Or at least, I tried to. When I tried to go through the crowded gym/dance floor, Emily stopped me and asked me to dance.' A wave of jealousy flooded Yumi, and she was tempted to scratch out the other girl's name. Almost angrily, she skimmed over the rest of the paragraph that talked about Ulrich dancing with Emily, missing the part about herself. Yumi's jealousy abated, though, when she read how Ulrich had looked both on and off campus for her, in the rain no less.

'I have never been more terrified than when I saw her laying there under the branch. I thought she was dead. I think my heart stopped. It didn't start back up again until I found her slow pulse.' _I didn't realize you were so worried about me.. Or that you cared so much. If your heart stopped when you thought I was dead but was actually alive, I wonder what would happen if I actually died…_

'The rest was a blur. I remember lifting the branch and it cutting at my palms, then I called emergency services. By the time the events slowed down enough for me to catch up, we were in the hospital and they were wheeling Yumi away. I tried to follow, but the nurses held me back, then everyone else came and I had to explain what had happened.' _You went through so much for me that night… I can't remember if I ever thanked you for saving me…_

'I felt hollow inside, and as the moments passed, that space filled up with fear and regret. I could have kept this all from happening! It's my fault Yumi was hurt' _No! It was my fault for trying to make you jealous… my fault for choosing someone other than you. _'She'd tell me it wasn't, but I know it is.' _Hmm… maybe he knows me too well…_

'I shouldn't have let her leave the dance alone - no, more than that… I shouldn't have let her date Theo… If it would have been me she was with, we wouldn't have been in an argument. Then she wouldn't have left and she wouldn't have gotten hurt. It's all my fault.' _I'm the only idiot here… I should have seen what was going on, should have looked beyond the façade you showed everyone else and noticed that you cared. I was the foolish one for throwing you away for Theo. I accept all the blame._

After skimming a bit farther in the entry, she paused over another section. 'I went over by her bed and explained what happened, then I asked her about the bruises on her arm and cheek. I think she was afraid to tell me.' _I thought you'd be mad at me… Plus, Theo said if I told anyone, he'd kill me, and if I fought back, he'd hurt you. I didn't have a choice._ 'Then she saw the bandages on my hands and unwrapped them. She got upset and started crying, which I don't see her do often. Seeing her cry was a shock for me…We're always seen as the strong ones, and for once, she needed me.' _I've always needed you… I guess we both never realized how much._

'Then, she surprised me again. She told me she was afraid to go to sleep. My Yumi, afraid?' _My Yumi.. I like seeing that. I was afraid I'd be in Lyoko in my dreams, but when you were there, I wasn't as scared. _As she skimmed over the next paragraph about Ulrich trying to help her sit up to eat, she winced, remembering the pain that movement had brought, and the tears she had cried against his chest. Yumi continued on until seeing Theo's name again.

'We finished the rolls, and I left to get more, which I never should have done. While I was gone, Theo showed up. I don't know what he all told her, but as I came back in, he said something about her not talking to me anymore. I argued with him, then Yumi had to make a choice: listen to Theo or stay friends with me. She chose me. For once, she chose me. I could have hugged her. I should have, right in front of Theo.' _Yeah, then he would have been even madder and we know who he would have taken it out on… You're right, I chose you. I should have done that earlier… I knew how mad he'd be, but I couldn't let him take you away from me._

Flipping to the next entry, she saw her name again. 'For once, Sissi isn't using Yumi's situation to her advantage. Even so, Odd, Jeremie, and I agreed that one of us should try to be near her whenever we can outside of class.' _I thought you guys were around more often than usual… And it worked! Sissi stayed away, and Theo did, too! _Yumi smiled when, later in the entry, she saw that Ulrich had been glad that she hadn't gone on dates with Theo.

Yumi's eyes widened as she read the last entry in the diary, dated March 14th. 'I feel so helpless, and guilty. Last night I looked in on Yumi to be sure she was ok, and I saw her holding a diary - one that looked exactly like mine! I snuck in and took it from her, and when I saw it was hers, I started to read it.' _No! So that means… Oh no, Ulrich, how could you!_ Hot tears of hurt and betrayal stung Yumi's eyes, threatening to fall as she read on. 'I didn't want to, but something's been bothering her, and now I know what it is. Theo. I'm going to kill him. He won't hurt her anymore. If he lays a finger on her again, I swear I'll make him wish he was never born.' Though Yumi was touched that Ulrich felt so deeply for her that he'd protect her from Theo, she was still hurt that he'd read her diary. A small part of her was also relieved that she hadn't had to tell Ulrich what was happening, even though he probably read about her feelings for him. Tucking his diary under her pillow, Yumi laid down, her heart still in turmoil as she tried to fall asleep, vowing to return the diary the next morning.

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AN: I hope you guys liked this chapter! I know there isn't much action and you didn't figure out what happened to Ulrich, but be patient! Questions will be answered eventually. If you have a pressing question other than 'Will Theo die?' or something like that, leave it in the review or PM me and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can! Please review before you leave, thanks! 


	55. Fury

AN: Finally, another update! I haven't felt much like writing and I've been grounded so it took me a while to get to this one. I also have about half of the next chapter written, so hopefully you won't have a very long wait for the next one. No promises, though! I don't have much else to say, so enjoy! Oh, other than BCH is 4 days away from being 2 years old, so this is an early birthday present. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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"Nighty night, Ulrich," Theo said mockingly as he rolled the unconscious boy toward the trees with his foot. After propping Ulrich up against a tree to make it look like he had slept outdoors, Theo turned to walk away. After he had gone a few steps, he stopped and turned around. Crouching down in front of Ulrich, Theo slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his knife. His fingers caressed it lovingly as he considered the limp boy. 

"Why is it, Ulrich, that she loves you?" Theo asked softly, staring at him. "No matter what I do, she still loves you. Why won't she love me. Is it your pretty-boy smile? No, you don't smile enough for that. Your personality? Can't be, you won't open up to anyone, probably not even your loser friends. Charm? You have none. You don't even love her. I do. I love her and she's mine, but she always wants to go back to you, I can see it in her eyes. What do you have that I don't? Am I really that bad of a person?"

"Yes," another quiet voice answered, "yes you are that terrible."

Theo whirled around, looking for the source of the sound.

"And you're wrong, I do love her." This time, Theo was able to pinpoint the voice. His head whipped around to face Ulrich again, whose eyes were barely cracked open. Had Theo been paying attention, he would have noticed the other boy had been slowly waking up as he was being positioned against the tree.

"You son of a -" Theo's snarling voice was interrupted by the sound of footsteps moving around the camp. His knife blade clicked out as he darted behind the tree Ulrich leaned against. His hand darted around the front of the tree and pressed the blade against Ulrich's throat. "You so much as sneeze and I swear to God I'll kill you," Theo hissed. Ulrich tensed but didn't move, well aware of what might happen. Once the footsteps faded, Theo crept back around to face Ulrich, keeping his knife ready.

"I know what you've done to her," Ulrich whispered, fury lacing his voice as he glared at Theo. "If you even look at her today, I'll go tonight to the principal and tell him everything. He won't be pleased to find out what you've been up to."

Theo's face reddened in anger as he raised his knife. Ulrich tensed, ready to block a stab, as the knife clicked closed, then in one swift movement, the combined force of the knife hilt and the fist clenching it slammed into the top of Ulrich's head, sending him into darkness once more.

"I won't be threatened," Theo hissed, gripping the hilt so hard that his knuckles whitened. Rage consumed him as he flicked open the knife and jerked Ulrich's right arm toward him. "Here's a little reminder of who's stronger," Theo sneered as he slashed Ulrich's arm twice, leaving his mark before getting up and walking away. "And, she's mine, pretty-boy. Enjoy your time together now, it won't last much longer."

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AN: And that's it for now! I hope you guys liked this chapter. If you have a question other than stuff like "Will Theo die?", leave it in a review or PM me and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can. Leave a review before you go, thanks! 


	56. Aftermath

AN: I owe you guys a huge apology. I was hoping that I'd have more time to write, but life and writer's block caught up with me. Since I didn't have any homework today, I was finally able to finish off this chapter. Sorry it isn't more interesting. This is sort of a lead-up to the next one. Please continue to send me reviews, it reminds me that I do need to finish this, and thank you for all of your encouragement and praise. It's nice to know that some people out there like what I do. Who knows, maybe I will become an author some day! Like always, read, review, and enjoy!

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_Where am I? Ouch… Ok, maybe I'd better not move for a little bit until the world stops spinning. _Ulrich leaned back against the tree and set his palms on the ground to steady himself. _All I remember from last night is talking to Theo, then walking away and everything went black. I think I saw him again, but I don't remember much of it. How'd I get here like this? _Pain streaked down his left arm as he put weight on it to regain his balance, surprising him into opening his eyes. Dried blood caked a large portion of his forearm, mixed with dirt until the actual wound was indistinguishable. Wincing, he raised his arm closer to his face. Two shallow cuts met his glance; the first three inch cut was vertical, which met a horizontal cut by his elbow. The second slash was smaller - about two inches. Though they were shallow, the slashes hurt. Taking care to not upset his left arm, Ulrich stood shakily and walked toward his cabin. The light of the rising sun guided his way as the sound of waking campers started to fill the once-peaceful area. 

"Hey buddy, oversleep?" Odd called from a nearby cabin as Ulrich walked closer.

"No, Odd, I didn't. We'll talk about it later, ok?" Odd noted the stiffness with which Ulrich walked and the seriousness of his voice.

"Alright, we'll talk about it over breakfast. Pancakes this morning!"

Nodding absentmindedly, Ulrich walked into his cabin, carefully covering the cuts with his right hand.

"Hey Ulrich," Jonathan called, "Did you sleep outside last night? Your hair is full of twigs and you're all dirty."

"Uh, I went out for a walk this morning," Ulrich lied, "I didn't sleep well." After a short wait, it was Ulrich's turn for the bathroom. A glance in the mirror confirmed what Jonathan had said - he really was a mess. Before showering, Ulrich carefully washed off his arm in the sink. Red-tinted water ran down the drain as the caked blood washed off, revealing the cuts fully. Blood leaked slowly from the scabs which had opened during the washing. After grabbing a towel from the stack near the showers, Ulrich showered, the hot water relaxing the sore muscles across his back and chest. Ulrich gingerly touched a bruise on the right side of his ribcage, and with the pain came a foggy memory. A memory of a conversation that had taken place the night before. _Theo! He's the one who did this to me! He was mad because Yumi loves me and doesn't love him. He wanted to know why Yumi loves me. But, I don't know. I don't know why she'd love me when I've pushed her away so many times by ignoring her feelings. I've loved her for as long as I've known her, but I don't know why. She's beautiful and smart. But that's not it, I'd care about her even if she had a giant wart on her nose. I don't know how to explain it. Maybe it doesn't have to be explained. I love her and that's what matters. _

Steam billowed out of the shower as Ulrich emerged. After dressing, he scoured the bathroom, hoping to find something to dress his wound. Luck was on his side as his search uncovered a basic first aid kit tucked away under the sink cabinet with the extra rolls of toilet paper. The cuts stung as Ulrich cleaned, then covered them with gauze and a wrap. Heaving a sigh, he emerged from the bathroom, deciding to forgo breakfast and announcements, instead heading to his history class.

In the girls' cabins, Yumi was still in emotional turmoil. Though she was both touched that he cared so much about her and relieved that she didn't have to tell him about the abuse herself, it still upset her that he had read her diary. _Sure, I read his diary, too, but it was only fair since he read mine, right? _Deep down, she knew this wasn't true, but there is usually more hurt from that which is done to you, rather than what you've done to someone else. Sticking his diary in her book bag, Yumi left for breakfast, contemplating what she would say to him in less than five minutes' time.

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AN: Since it's been so long since I've updated, I'm going to help some of you readers who don't belong to Fanfiction,net. If you don't have a membership and want to be notified when I update, say so in your next review, and I will do my best to send out a mass email when I update again. I will try to post another chapter during Thanksgiving or Christmas break, but no guarantees! As always, if you have a question you want answered, besides things like 'Will Theo die?' and 'Will Ulrich and Yumi get back together?' just include it in your review, along with an email address if you're a non-member and I will try to answer your question! Leave a review before you go, thanks! 


	57. The Truth

AN: I'm back again with a chapter fresh out of my notebook! I bet you guys didn't expect another chapter so soon! Before I get started, I need to apologize to you all. In earlier ANs, I said that there would be more action in Lyoko later on. I no longer know if that's true. It's possible, but not likely or I would never finish this fic and you guys wouldn't find out what happens in the end! It might make a small appearance, but I don't know yet. Sorry about that! We'll just have to see what happens as it goes. This chapter is an early Christmas present for you all! I now it's only the 23rd, but I'll be busy all day tomorrow and I didn't think you'd object to having it a little early. So, Merry Christmas! Read, review, and enjoy!

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As Yumi headed to breakfast, she walked past Odd and Jeremie, so lost in her thoughts that she did not see them.

"Uh... Hi?" Odd said as she walked by.

"Oh, hi Odd, Jeremie." Yumi said, startled.

"Are you alright?" Jeremie studied her for a few moments before she turned away from them.

"I'm fine," she lied. "Have any of you seen Ulrich today?"

"Yeah, I saw him this morning," Odd said. "He was on his way to his cabin. It looked like he'd been napping out in the forest." His joking tone did nothing to cheer Yumi, instead it caused a small frown.

_Maybe that's why Ulrich didn't switch off his shift with me last night_, Yumi thought.

"Anyway... time for breakfast, race you there!" Odd took off for the mess hall, leaving Yumi and Jeremie standing in his dust.

"I don't see how anyone could get that excited about food," Jeremie said, shaking his head. "Odd is definitely unique."

Yumi nodded in agreement, turning her head slightly to look for Ulrich. "I need to talk to Ulrich, Jeremie. We'll be at breakfast in a little bit, save us seats!"

"Should I save a seat for Theo, too?" Jeremie tried to conceal his disgust at the thought, but wasn't very successful.

"T-Theo? No. Jeremie... I need to talk to you and Odd about something today, ok? At lunch, alright?" Yumi's heart raced as she thought of talking to the two boys who were the most brotherly toward her. _How will they take it? Will they be mad at me? Ignore me? Will they even believe me? _Yumi pushed these thoughts out of her mind as she walked away, waving at the blond genius. "See you then, Jer."

Steeling herself to face Ulrich, she walked toward the cabin he was supervising. Just as she was stepping forward to open the door, it swung open, revealing Ulrich.

"Good morning, Yumi," he said, looking at the ground.

"Good morning." she replied softly. "Can we go inside for a few minutes? I need to talk to you."

Ulrich nodded and held the door open for her. He then led her to his bed, where they both sat down.

"I have something of yours, and I think you have something of mine," she said quietly as she reached into her backpack and pulled out the blue-green notebook. Ulrich's eyes widened slightly before he nodded. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to, but I read part of your journal," she admitted.

"I read yours, too," Ulrich said, reaching under his pillow for the matching notebook. After they exchanged books, he said, "I wasn't going to, but then I saw my name and was curious. I read all of it from the beginning of March until now. I'm sorry, Yumi."

"So you know, then..." Yumi couldn't meet his eyes. Instead, she traced her finger over the cover of her journal.

"Yeah, I do."

Both of the teens sat in an awkward silence until Ulrich reached over slowly and took her hand gently in his own.

"Yumi, why didn't you tell me? What Theo is doing is wrong. I could help you. I don't want you to be hurting like this - and not just the physical pain. I mean the mental stuff, too. You've changed, Yumi. You used to be the bravest person I knew. Now I'm so afraid that I'll scare you or hurt you accidentally that I don't know what to do. I'll fight him for you, if that's what you need. I'll keep you safe, I promise."

While he was speaking, tears welled up in Yumi's eyes as she heard the earnestness in his voice.

"He'll hurt you, Ulrich. I couldn't live with myself if that happened. He already attacked Jeremie. Who's next, Odd... you?" The anguish was clear in her voice as the tears started falling.

"It'll be alright, Yumi. If we can defeat X.A.N.A., we can beat Theo, but we need to work together. We need to trust each other again. Can you trust me, even though I read your diary?" Ulrich's voice was hopeful as he used his free hand to tilt her face up gently so he could look into her eyes.

Yumi nodded. "It's kind of good that you read it. I kept trying to tell you, but I couldn't. I was too scared."

"You don't have to be afraid anymore," Ulrich said gently, letting go of her hand so he could wipe the tears from her face. "I'll be here for you, I promise." Giving her a quick hug, he tried to change the mood. "We'd better get to breakfast before Odd eats everything in sight," he said lightly, standing up and helping her to her feet. His hand found hers as they walked out of the cabin and toward the mess hall. Yumi squeezed it once, feeling safer already.

Unbeknownst to the two, a pair of narrowed eyes watched from the trees and followed them silently.

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AN: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I have the next one written up, but I don't have time to type it, too. So, hopefully sometime this month I'll get that one up, too. Things are heating up! Happy Holidays, everyone! 


	58. Capture

AN: I know you hear this all the time from me, but I am very very sorry for the delay. I lost my writing notebook and could not find it before I left the state for a month and a half. So, as soon as I got back and found it, I got this typed up. Thank you all for sticking with me, I really appreciate all of your reviews. Since most of you are anxious to read this, I won't make you wait any longer. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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"So, what's planned for us today, teacher?" Yumi said lightly at Ulrich. 

"Rock climbing. Jim told me we'd start everyone on the camp's rock wall first before going out and giving them a demonstration. I can't remember where, though. I sort of lost interest when Jim started in on some story about when he used to be a professional rock climber or something like that." Yumi smiled slightly and glanced over at Ulrich, noticing the bandage around his arm for the first time.

"What happened to your left arm?"

"What? Oh… it's nothing… I sort of ran into Theo last night and… he didn't like what I was telling him so he cut me a little with his knife." Ulrich tried to look as if it didn't matter, but Yumi stopped walking.

"He did what??" Yumi couldn't keep the surprise and anger out of her voice.

"It's nothing… I'll show you later, ok? Let's just get to breakfast before anyone realizes we're missing." Ulrich tugged on her hand gently, and they started walking slowly again. Trying to distract Yumi, Ulrich nudged against her side, nearly toppling the girl who was caught unawares. Glancing over at him in surprise, she caught his grin before he was able to hide it. So, she nudged back, and a small smile appeared on her face. Soon the two were nudging each other so often that they could hardly walk.

Pulling Ulrich to a stop, Yumi angled her body so she faced him.

"Thank you, Ulrich, for sticking by me," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. After Ulrich's initial surprise, he pulled her into a hug.

"Anytime, Yumi." For the moment, Yumi relaxed, forgetting about her problems. Her problems had not forgotten about her, though.

Ulrich released Yumi from the hug and continued walking beside her. As the two rounded the last cabin before the mess hall, a soft 'snick' was heard as Yumi was pulled to a halt. She froze, feeling a hard arm wrap around her waist and cold metal at her throat. Her hand gripped Ulrich's tightly; he had stopped a moment after her. He looked back at her in horror, his mind unable to comprehend the scene before him.

"If either of you make a sound or move, I'll kill her," Theo said menacingly. Ulrich nodded his head slowly, giving Yumi's hand an unseen squeeze.

"Pretty boy, you follow us. If you try anything at all, I'll slit her throat. Do you understand?" Theo's words were harsh and clipped. His eyes darted back and forth, and his arm tightened on Yumi's waist as he led them into the nearest part of the forest, which was to their right. Safety was only to the left and a short dash away, but neither captive dared to try it. Once they were about fifty feet into the forest, Theo had them stop.

"You, sit with your back to the tree, facing away from camp," Theo snapped. Ulrich let go of Yumi's hand reluctantly before doing as he said. Keeping the knife at Yumi's throat, Theo released her waist and removed the rope he had wrapped around his chest under his shirt.

"You, tie him up," he ordered Yumi. "And make it tight, or he'll have it worse." He pricked her under the chin to emphasize his point. Putting the knife to her back instead, he motioned for her to start. Once he was satisfied that Ulrich wouldn't escape, he took off his shoes and made a gag out of his socks and had her tie it to Ulrich's head. The socks reeked, and Theo chuckled as Ulrich balked at the smell.

After she finished tying the knot, he jerked her to her feet, but not before she whispered 'I love you' into Ulrich's ear. Ulrich strained against the gag but couldn't loosen it enough to speak.

Covering Yumi's eyes with one hand, Theo poked her in the back slightly with the knife, moving her forward. "Let's go, you traitorous bitch," Theo snarled. Yumi stumbled blindly on, holding back sobs as the crazed teen led her away from Ulrich.

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AN: Ooooo…. Bet you weren't expecting that! I can't give any timelines for the next chapter. It all depends on my classes this semester. I hope all of your summers were good. If you get bored waiting for me to write the next chapter, you might want to try reading Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. It's an amazing book. Anywho, leave a review, thanks! 


	59. The Hideout

AN: Another update! I'm trying to get them out to you guys sooner. The good news is.. I have a few boring classes that I'm writing during, so you might get another chapter before the end of the year. That's not a promise, though. As you can tell, things are getting more serious. I want to remind you all that this is a mature story. Please read at your own risk. You have been warned. So, read, review and enjoy!

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Yumi woke with a groan as ropes bit into her ankles. Her hands were already lashed behind her. She had expected to find herself this way after he'd knocked her out in the forest. What she hadn't expected was to be up in a tree. In actually, she was on a large platform that was nestled in two trees. Broken tree limbs tied together with rope made the floor. Theo had carefully constructed this little hideout, even going so far as to line the bottom of the platform with small twigs and clusters of leaves to camouflage it from unwanted eyes.

Yumi's heart dropped. It could be days before she'd be found. _No! I'm not going to let him win! I'm not going to let it end like this! _Yumi struggled against the ropes, only to find her air was cut off. She had not noticed the rope around her neck. As long as she kept her back against the tree, the rope around her neck was relaxed. The had thought of everything. Yumi tried wiggling her hands, but it was no use. The ropes were tied tight; she could feel her hands but barely.

Despite the hopelessness of the situation, Yumi's brain started plotting. Had he captured just her, she probably would have succumbed to fear and powerlessness, but he had hurt her Ulrich. Something inside Yumi snapped, and she started wiggling her hands, hoping to loosen the rope. The coarse material dug into her tender skin, but she didn't stop. But, it was to no avail. What little feeling she had left in her fingers was not enough to help her.

Tears coursed slowly down her cheeks as she leaned back against the tree. _What will happen to me now? He was really angry with me this time. Will he let me go? What's he going to do to me?_ Yumi shuddered, trying not to picture the worst. _Will they find me eventually? Will I even be alive then? What will happen to Ulrich and the rest of them… will the be ok without me?_ Yumi's heart clenched as she thought about her friends. Now that she saw the possibility that she would never see them again, there was so much she wanted to tell them. There was so much she wanted to tell _him_. It hurt to think his name now. It hurt to know she might never see him again. And, if she did, things would never be the same.

Yumi closed her eyes and quietly cried herself to sleep.

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AN: And there you go! I know it was short, but it's leading up to (hopefully) a longer chapter. The next one is probably a quarter written so far. After midterms are over, I'll probably write more. Send me any questions you might have in a review or feel free to PM me. Serious questions will be answered, if it won't ruin the plot. So, review, thanks! 


	60. Hostages

AN: Alright, kiddies. Things get a bit rough from here on, so if you're under the required age for this story, you'll want to turn around. Sorry about that. Thank you all for the support you guys have shown me! Hopefully things will speed up after this and I can get this story finished! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

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Ari knew something was wrong. She hadn't seen Yumi or Ulrich all day, and Theo was missing as well. By the end of the day, she decided to talk to the principal and tell him what had been going on between Yumi and Theo. As she walked along the edge of the forest towards the camp's office, Ari felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She was being watched. As she turned her head to look behind her, she was struck on the head and crumpled. Theo heaved her onto his shoulder and walked into the trees.

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"Where's Ulrich? It's not like him to go missing all day and not even come to supper," Odd mused aloud. The idea of anyone skipping a meal was cause for worry in itself. When it came time to do night rounds, Principal Delmas' face was lined with worry.

"Please stay close together and check back in at the mess hall every half hour. There will be teachers patrolling as well, so find them immediately if you see anything at all suspicious."

Odd and Jeremie sat together; the silence between them was deafening. Odd was supposed to be partnered with Yumi tonight, and Jeremie was supposed to be partnered with Ulrich. Because they were both missing, Jeremie and Odd got paired up. After most of the counselors had dispersed, Jeremie spoke up.

"What do you think happened to them? Aelita hasn't noticed any big changes on Lyoko, so we can probably rule out X.A.N.A. this time."

"Yeah. Plus, Ari is missing, too. I saw her this morning at breakfast, but she didn't show up for our counselor's meeting." Odd frowned. "Let's look for them tonight when we go on patrol. Who knows, maybe they ran away to elope or something. It'd be about time, too!"

Jeremie cracked a small smile, but he wasn't reassured. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind like he was missing something. Something important.

* * *

When Yumi next opened her eyes, she saw Ari slumped on the platform across from her. There was a bruise slowly forming on the left side of her head, above her temple. Yumi bit her lip, and her heart clenched. _Another one… he got another one. Please make it stop…_

The sun was setting so Yumi did not see Theo as he finished climbing up the rope ladder. Once he got up, he curled the ladder up and laid it carefully on the edge of the platform. The long branch he used to hook and unfurl the ladder laid on the ground, hidden in the bushes. Theo crouched beside Yumi.

"Thought you could use some company. Too bad one of you won't be around for long." Theo grinned at her maliciously and pulled out his knife, flicking it open and closed. "If you two don't keep quiet, I'll kill you both. Now, it's supper time." Theo pulled some raspberries from his pants pocket and carefully unwrapped them. They were a little squashed, but he held one to her lips after popping a few in his own mouth first.

Yumi glared at him and kept her lips tightly shut. She could see him growing angrier. Theo grabbed her jaw roughly with his other hand and prized her mouth open, then stuck a berry inside. Just as Theo started to look triumphant, Yumi spat the berry out, some of it landing on Theo's hand.

"You bitch!" Theo slapped her with his berry-stained hand. "Fine then, starve to death. Hunger will make you friendly soon enough." With that, Theo wiped his hand on Yumi's shirt and climbed down the side of the tree as to not disturb the ladder.

Yumi had a brief feeling of triumph, then reality hit her. _Theo said one of us would die soon… which one? If he kills me, will he let her go? Would he kill me if I asked him to spare her? _Yumi's growling stomach interrupted her thoughts, and she half-wished she hadn't turned down the food. _It was weird; the look on his face when he was offering me the berry was almost kind. He couldn't love me, not with all he's done to me. So, why did he look at me like that?

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_

"Alright, Jeremie. Time to go!" Odd popped up from his seat and pulled Jeremie up. Jeremie fumbled with his laptop and managed to stick it in his backpack.

"Aelita still hasn't found anything," Jeremie said, a hint of worry in his voice. "I don't like this at all."

"You worry too much, Einstein." Odd collected their flashlights and walked out into the night air. Mrs. Hertz and Jim were already out walking around. Jeremie's hand felt the lump of his cell phone in his pocked and felt slightly reassured. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and groaned.

"No service," Jeremie said to Odd as an explanation.

"We're at a camp in the middle of a forest - of course we don't have service! I think you're losing your touch, Jer!"

"At least they have Wi-Fi in the buildings," Jeremie muttered. The two wandered around the camp, chatting idly. As they walked, they got closer to the edge of the forest. Once they got close enough, a dark shape lunged at them and swung at Odd's head with a branch. Jeremie stepped back and yelped. Because of the slight warning, Odd was able to sidestep and the blow only glanced his head. Pain exploded as the back of Odd's head, but he turned to face his attacker.

"Theo!" Odd gasped. "What are you doing!"

"Removing competition," Theo said menacingly. He took a step forward and swung again. Odd tried to block it, but the branch met with his arm and there was a sickening crunch. Odd gasped in pain and fell to his knees, clutching his right arm. Theo raised the branch again and struck him over the head with it.

Jeremie was frozen in shock. He took a hesitant step forward, his hands up in fists as if to defend himself.

"Stop it, Theo," Jeremie said, his voice shaking as he took another step. "What've we done to you?"

"You're trying to take my Yumi away from me," Theo growled. "She loves you guys more than she loves me!" Theo rushed at Jeremie, brandishing the branch. Jeremie let out a small cry and turned to run, but Theo was too fast. He threw the unconscious genius over his shoulder and carried him to the edge of the forest and hid him in the bushes. Then he went back for Odd and carried him off into the forest.

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AN: I hope you liked it! Tune in next time to see if our heroes survive their new adventure! Leave a review and/or ask me a question if you'd like! Thanks! 


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